Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1935 and open to believers of all faiths.
Istanbul:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced Friday that the Hagia Sophia, one of many architectural wonders of the world, can be reopened for Muslim worship, sparking fury within the Christian group and neighbouring Greece.
His declaration got here after a prime Turkish courtroom revoked the sixth-century Byzantine monument’s standing as a museum, clearing the way in which for it to be turned again right into a mosque.
The UNESCO World Heritage web site in historic Istanbul, a magnet for vacationers worldwide, was first constructed as a cathedral within the Christian Byzantine Empire however was transformed right into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
The Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative courtroom, unanimously cancelled a 1934 cupboard resolution to show it right into a museum and stated Hagia Sophia was registered as a mosque in its property deeds.
The landmark ruling might inflame tensions not simply with the West and Turkey’s historic foe Greece but in addition Russia, with which Erdogan has solid an more and more shut partnership in recent times.
‘Tens of millions of Christians not heard’
Greece swiftly branded the transfer by Muslim-majority Turkey an “open provocation to the civilised world”.
“The nationalism displayed by Erdogan… takes his nation again six centuries,” Tradition Minister Lina Mendoni stated in an announcement.
The Russian Orthodox Church was equally scathing.
“The priority of hundreds of thousands of Christians weren’t heard,” Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida advised Interfax information company.
The choice “exhibits that each one pleas concerning the necessity to deal with the state of affairs extraordinarily delicately had been ignored,” he stated.
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay stated she “deeply regrets” the choice made with out prior dialogue with the UN’s cultural company.
The transfer was additionally condemned by the US Fee on Worldwide Non secular Freedom, which stated it was an “unequivocal politicisation” of the monument.
Hagia Sophia, which stands reverse the spectacular Sultanahmet Mosque — typically known as the Blue Mosque, has been a museum since 1935 and open to believers of all faiths.
Reworking it from a mosque was a key reform underneath the brand new republic born out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
Sharing a presidential decree which named Hagia Sophia as a “mosque”, Erdogan introduced its administration can be handed over to Turkey’s non secular affairs directorate often called Diyanet.
“Could we be blessed,” he commented. The decree was printed on the official gazette.
Erdogan has in recent times positioned nice emphasis on the battles which resulted within the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans, with lavish celebrations held yearly to mark the conquest.
Muslim clerics have often recited prayers within the museum on key anniversaries or non secular holidays.
“The choice is meant to attain factors with Erdogan’s pious and nationalist constituents,” stated Anthony Skinner of the chance evaluation agency Verisk Maplecroft.
“Hagia Sophia is arguably probably the most conspicuous image of Turkey’s Ottoman previous — one which Erdogan is leveraging to strengthen his base whereas snubbing home and overseas rivals,” he advised AFP.
‘Chains damaged’
Just a few hundred Turks carrying Turkish flags gathered outdoors Hagia Sophia shouting “Chains damaged, Hagia Sophia reopened”.
Police heightened safety measures across the constructing, in accordance with AFP journalists.
“It has been a dream since we had been youngsters,” stated Erdal Gencler, an Istanbul resident.
“(Hagia Sophia) finds its true objective once more. We’re very excited, proud, and hopeful that there can be lovely companies right here,” he added.
Fatma, a lady with tearful eyes, stated: “In fact I’m crying. (Hagia Sophia) belongs to us.”
Forward of the courtroom resolution, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul shared an image of Hagia Sophia on his official Twitter account, with a message: “Have a superb Friday.”
Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, tweeted that Hagia Sophia can be reopened to Muslim worship “eventually”, referring to a quote from Turkish poet Necip Fazil Kisakurek.
The Council of State had on July 2 debated the case introduced by a Turkish group — the Affiliation for the Safety of Historic Monuments and the Atmosphere, which demanded Hagia Sophia be reopened for Muslim prayers.
Since 2005, there have been a number of makes an attempt to alter the constructing’s standing. In 2018, the Constitutional Courtroom rejected one software.
Regardless of occasional protests outdoors the positioning by Islamic teams, Turkish authorities had till now saved the constructing as a museum.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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