May 12, 2022
Politics
The new generation of Turkish passports will feature an updated design, including a drawing of the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said in an address to the nation. Erdogan formally converted Istanbul’s crowing architectural jewel from a museum into a mosque in 2020, in …
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January 23, 2022
Society, Very Mix
An explosion was recorded outside a makeshift mosque in central Athens on Sunday afternoon. There are no reports of injuries but there have been material damages, including to two parked cars. According to the Hellenic Police, the perpetrators used a homemade explosive device that left no traces. The blast took …
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December 26, 2021
Politics, Turkey-GR
Turkey has converted another Hagia Sophia church into a mosque. To stress yet another provocation towards the former Greek Orthodox community and Greece , Ankara held the opening ceremony on the Christmas Eve, on December 24. The 12th century church is located in the northwest province of Edirne on the …
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May 13, 2021
Politics, Turkey-GR
Turkey opened the doors of Hagia Sophia to thousands of worshipers for the Eid prayer marking the end of Ramadan early Thursday morning. It is the first Eid prayer after “an 87-year hiatus,” state-run news agency anadolu claimed. Certain it that it is the first time the Eid sermon was …
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November 3, 2020
FEATURED, Greece
The first ever official mosque in Greek capital Athens opened its gates on Monday, welcoming Muslims for prayers. The operation of the mosque comes with a delay of 16 years after the relevant draft bill was worked out and was approved by the Parliament. after a 14-year wait since procedures …
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August 21, 2020
Greece, Politics
The Greek Foreign Ministry described Turkey’s decision to convert the Monastery of Chora into a mosque as “another provocation against religious people everywhere in the world as well as against the international community that respects the monuments of the human civilization.” “After Hagia Sophia and despite the international reaction, the …
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August 21, 2020
FEATURED, Turkey-GR
President Recept Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree on Friday morning that converts another historical Byzantine church in Istanbul into a mosque. After Hagia Sophia, the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora will also open for Islamic prayers and lose its status as a museum. The church in Chora is …
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July 24, 2020
Turkey-GR
Thousands of worshipers have been flocking to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul on Friday to attend the first Muslim prayer after 86 years. Some of them even camped outside the Building that was a World Heritage Site over the night and read prayers at the dawn. “Hagia Sophia is ready for …
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July 23, 2020
Politics, Turkey-GR
Just a few hours are left before Turkey officially converts Hagia Sophia into a mosque and inaugurates the sacrilege fiesta with the first Muslim prayer on Friday. Workers are zealously proceed with works to hide all Christian symbols in the Byzantine Basilica of the 6th century. But no mater how …
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July 11, 2020
Greece, Politics
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 …
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July 10, 2020
Politics, Turkey-GR
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 …
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July 10, 2020
Politics, Turkey-GR
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 …
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July 10, 2020
Greece, Turkey-GR
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 …
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July 2, 2020
Turkey-GR
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 …
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June 30, 2020
Greece
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 …
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June 8, 2020
Turkey-GR
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 …
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June 5, 2020
Turkey-GR
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 …
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November 5, 2019
Politics, Turkey-GR
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 …
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April 16, 2019
Greece
The Islamic mosque in Botanikos district of Athens is expected to be inaugurated on the last day of Ramadan on June 5, 2019. The first and only public mosque in Greece was originally scheduled to be in operation in March, then in …May. It was apparently the bad weather that …
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March 25, 2019
Turkey-GR
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 …
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