Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria reacts with regret to Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia in Istanbul back into mosque

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Photo: EPA/BGNES

"We join the calls of the international community to preserve the existing access to the monument, given its history and its symbolic significance for Christianity and Islam. We expect the universal historical value of the monument to be preserved as part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage," reads a text published on the website of Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the change of status of the historic house of worship Hagia Sophia in Turkey's capital Istanbul. 

Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree stipulating that the Hagia Sophia building, which currently operates as a museum and is one of the iconic sites of the Turkish capital, would be returned under the auspices of the religion service and converted back into a mosque. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The Constitutional Court admits all five requests for the annulment of the Parliamentary elections

The Constitutional Court has admitted all five requests for the partial or complete annulment of the elections for the 51st National Assembly, submitted by We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB), Vazrazhdane, There is Such a People (ITN),..

published on 11/26/24 5:46 PM

New parking lots with charging stations for electric vehicles open at Sofia Airport

New parking lots with over 1,000 parking spaces, including special areas for people with limited mobility and electric vehicle charging stations, were opened at Sofia Airport today.  The parking lots are divided into short-term and..

published on 11/26/24 3:30 PM

The European Public Prosecutor's Office has charged a Bulgarian citizen with attempted fraud with Chinese agricultural machinery

A Bulgarian businessman has been charged by the European Public Prosecutor's Office with attempted fraud with Chinese agricultural machinery. He tried to present the machinery as Bulgarian-made. A lawsuit has been filed in the Sofia..

published on 11/26/24 2:13 PM