Georgian Patriarchate: ‘It would be wise of Turkey not to convert Hagia Sophia into mosque’

The Georgian Patriarchate has responded to the possible reversion of Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, into a mosque from a museum, saying it would be wise of Turkey to maintain the site’s current status unchanged. 

The Georgian Patriarchate says that Hagia Sophia was built as a distinguished Christian cathedral and carried the function for about 1,000 years. 

Now when humanity faces various global challenges it is very important to keep and strengthen peace and understanding between Christians and Muslims. We believe it will be wise of Turkey to maintain the current, neutral status of the site,” said the statement. 

The Patriarchate says that ‘we respect the sovereignty of Turkey and hope that the statement will be perceived as a view of one of the oldest Christian churches and not as interference in internal issues.’ 

The statement expressed hope that the strategic partnership between Georgia and Turkey will further strengthen. 

Hagia Sophia is one of the most visited sites in Turkey.

The US has urged the government of Turkey to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a museum, ‘as an exemplar of its commitment to respect the faith traditions and diverse history that contributed to the Republic of Turkey, and to ensure it remains accessible to all.’

Russian lawmakers have also appealed to their Turkish counterparts to prevent government plans for converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, calling on them to “prevent the damage that could be caused by a hasty change in the status of the world-famous museum.”

Turkey’s Council of State, the highest administrative court, said  on July 2 that it will make ruling on the issue within 15 days.

The 1,500 year old UNESCO World Heritage site was originally a cathedral before becoming a mosque and then a museum in the 1930s.