Moscow. June 16. INTERFAX.RU — the Minister of justice of Turkey Abdulhamit Gul spoke to the Hagia Sophia, now having the status of the Museum again became a mosque.
In an interview with the news Agency “Anadolu” he said to open the Cathedral for Muslim prayer — “our common desire, such was the desire of Sultan Mehmet (conquered Constantinople — if)”.
He recalled that the question of the future of Hagia Sophia will be reviewed in early July, the state Council of the country, and noted that other States are not entitled to dictate to Turkey how to do it with this Cathedral.
may 29, the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople in Hagia Sophia took place the reading of the Quran. A week later, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan instructed the Central Committee of the ruling Party of justice and development to explore the possibility of turning Sofia into a mosque.
the Museum status of Hagia Sophia was received in 1934 by the decision of the first President of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Since 1985 the Cathedral is included in world heritage list of UNESCO.
In the Russian Orthodox Church expressed hope that the current Museum status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will not be changed, and the Church will not be again converted into a mosque.
