the Russian Orthodox Church opposed to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, acting as the Museum turned into a mosque, and sorrow perceives what is happening. This was stated by the head of the Synodal Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion, the TV channel “Russia 24”.
Metropolitan stressed that it is impossible to go back in the middle Ages, you need to respect the feelings of believers, as we live in a multicultural world. In Turkey, the dominant religion is Islam, Istanbul has no shortage of mosques, there is no need to turn monument of the world culture in the mosque.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the accusations against Ankara about the deprivation Aya Sofia Museum status attacks on the sovereignty of Turkey. And stressed that will not interfere with the worship of institutions in other countries.
the Supreme administrative court of Turkey on Thursday discussed the issue of the status of Aya Copiii. The decision will be announced within 15 days. The state Council believes that to change the status of the Cathedral is the decree of the President
Hagia Sophia the wisdom of God — the former Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral, later a mosque, now a Museum; the world famous monument of Byzantine architecture, the symbol of the Golden age” of Byzantium. During the Byzantine Empire, the Cathedral was the center of Constantinople, near the Imperial Palace. Currently located in the historical center of Istanbul, Sultanahmet. In 1453, after the capture of the city by the Ottomans, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, and in 1935 it acquired the status of a Museum.
