Greece has strongly condemned Turkey’s decision to turn the World Heritage monument of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The political leadership of the country issued strong wording statements on the issue, as Athens is exploring sanctions against Turkey and is launching initiatives on international level. Turkey’s decision “insults the ecumenical …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not wait long to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. In zero time, he signed the Presidential decree that opens Hagia Sophia for Muslim prayers. He posted the decree on Twitter less than an hour after the court’s ruling earlier on Friday. Erdogan commented …

Turkey’s top administrative court, the Council of State, on Friday annulled the 1934 decree by Ataturk’s government that turned Hagia Sophia from a mosque into a museum. The long-awaited ruling opens the way for Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia to be converted into a mosque again. Shortly after the Council of …

The UNESCO is warning Turkey of converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque just hours before the country’s top administrative court announces its decision Friday afternoon. UNESCO must be notified of any change in the status of Istanbul’s sixth-century Hagia Sophia museum and the changes may have to be reviewed …

Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece expressed his belief Sunday that Turkey will not dare turn Hagia Sophia, the iconic Byzantine cathedral in Istanbul, currently a museum, into a mosque. “They (the Turks) play whatever games are in hand. This is one more game. I believe they won’t …

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that any criticism on his government plans to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque is considered as “an attack on Turkey’s sovereignty. This was Erdogan’s response to the mounting criticism by the U.S., France, Russia, particularly Greece and other countries. “Accusations against our country about …

With express procedures Turkey’s Council of State completed the hearing on the status of Hagia Sophia and whether it will be converted into on mosque or maintain its museum status on Thursday morning. The written verdict will be delivered within 15 days. It will be up to President Recep Tayyipr …

The leader of Greek Orthodoxy, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has warned that if Turkey persists with plans to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, this will turn millions of Christians against Islam. The warning comes two days before Turkey’s top court will rule on the issue. Speaking at the church of …

The US State Department has called on Turkey to maintain the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum and to not convert it into a mosque. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, posted on Twitter on Thursday: “The Hagia Sophia holds enormous spiritual & cultural significance to …

Turkey’s Council of State is to decide on the status of Hagia Sophia and whether it can be converted into a mosque on July 2, 2020. The country’s highest court will examine the request for annulment of the presidential decree of 1934 that turned the Hagia Sophia from a mosque …

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque and has asked his aides to conduct a comprehensive study on how to do this. According to Turkish daily Hurriyet, during a top party meeting earlier this week, Erdogan noted that Hagia Sophia was reopened as a …

The Greek government has condemned the fiestas Turkey is preparing on Friday, May 29, on the 567. anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople. One of the fiestas to take place in Istanbul tonight outside the former church and patriarchal cathedral of Greek Orthodoxy, the Hagia Sophia, a museum since 1932. …

Two scholars at Stanford University have joined forces to recreate what a Christian choir might have sounded like inside Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia before it became a mosque in the 1400s. Bissera Pentcheva, Professor of Art History, and Jonathan Abel is Consulting Professor at the Center for Computer Research in Music …

A decision by Turkey’s Supreme Administrative Court may open the way to convert the symbol of Greek Orthodoxy, the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This is a permanent demand by local nationalists, supported also by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The court has ruled that the historic Monastery of Chora in …

“Without approval by the UNESCO, the status of world heritage monuments cannot be changed,” the world cultural organization said and took the wind out of the sails of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who keeps heralding that he will turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque. “All decisions concerning the implementation …

For one more time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Hagia Sophia, currently a museum, might be converted into a mosque. As if Turkey had no other important problem to solve… In an interview with staged Question and Answer on the specific issue, reporters of state TRT TV asked …

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived short before 9 o’ clock in Hagia Sofia, the cradle of Orthodoxy in Istanbul. Security measures were tight, nobody was allowed to enter the impressive Byzantine Church turned into Museum, with exception of Tsipras’ delegation, Turkish officials, one tourist guide and a …black cat. …

Former “Playboy” model Marisa Papen posed naked at the entrance of Hagia Sofia and triggered an outrage. The 25-year-old wore a black burka when she entered the former Church and Mosque that is now a Museum. For the sake of photo-shoot, she lifted the burka and exposed that she wore …

Millions of Greek Orthodox Christians breathed in relief  on Thursday upon hearing that Turkey’s Constitutional Court rejected a plea to open the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul as a mosque. The Constitutional Court rejected an association’s demand that the Hagia Sophia be opened for Muslim prayers on “non-competence” grounds, indicating …

This is what Greeks characteristically call: Storm in a brain. What does the cradle of Greek Orthodoxy Hagia Sofia have in common with Jerusalem, Israel and its recognition by the United States? Fairly nothing. But for am uneducated Turkish nationalist fine and big nuances make no difference. Turkish nationalists “invaded” …