(Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2020) Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) have signed a protocol confirming that Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, recently converted into a mosque, will be preserved as a global heritage site after the change of status, Culture Minister Mehmet Ersoy said on Thursday.
Turkey's highest administrative court annulled on July 10 a 1934 decree designating Hagia Sophia, which used to be a major Christian cathedral and was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites back in the 1980s, a museum.
"There is no need to worry, Hagia Sophia will be guarded as it used to. We sign a protocol, which says it will be preserved as a global heritage site in compliance with international standards. Restoration works in the buildings will be accelerated. Foreign tourists will be able to attend Hagia Sophia free of charge," Ersoy told reporters at the protocol signing ceremony.
The Diyanet head, Ali Erbas, added that the Turkish government expects an increased flow of visitors to Hagia Sophia.
"Hagia Sophia is a heritage of the entire humanity, it is one of the best historical and cultural sites, and we feel honored to preserve it. I believe that the number of people coming there both for a prayer and for a visit will grow to millions," Erbas said.
