Washington has urged Ankara to leave the Hagia Sophia Museum

the United States urges the Turkish authorities to preserve Hagia Sophia in Istanbul the status of a Museum, said Secretary of state Mike Pompeo. In a statement released by the state Department, Pompeo offers to leave the Cathedral available to the public.

Earlier, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said that the status of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul can be changed from the Museum to the iconic Cathedral will become a mosque, and access will be allowed only to perform prayers. Pompeo believes that the preservation of St. Sophia of the status of the Museum will be an example of respect for religious traditions and historical diversity. And the deprivation of the status of the Museum can be seen as belittling the heritage of this outstanding building.

Hagia Sophia is a UNESCO world heritage site. The status of a Museum of the Christian Church, and after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks Muslim mosque was in 1935, when Kemal Ataturk. Radicals repeatedly required to turn the Museum back into a mosque. Called for some conservative political parties and the public of the Islamic movement in Turkey, however, at the highest level, these initiatives up to this point was not supported.