Russian church slams Hagia Sophia plan

Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.

Source: Getty Images/Salvator Barki

The Russian Orthodox Church says converting Hagia Sophia monument from a museum to a mosque would be "unacceptable".


The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill said he was “deeply concerned” by the moves, describing Hagia Sophia as “one of the greatest monuments of Christian culture.”

“A threat to Hagia Sophia is a threat to the whole of Christian civilization, and therefore to our spirituality and history,” the Orthodox church leader said in a statement.


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