The Association of Greek Archaeologists has Written an Open Letter, in which it asks UNESCO to Intervene to Preserve the Historical Monument of St. Sophia.
Newsroom (13/09/2022 4:45 PM, Gaudium Press) The Association of Greek archaeologists asks UNESCO to protect the ancient church of St. Sophia, now converted into a Muslim mosque, in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
The Association of Greek archaeologists has written a letter to the director of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, asking for crucial intervention to protect the historic monument of St. Sophia.
St. Sophia (from the Greek Haiga Sophie – Holy Wisdom), is one of the best-known religious buildings in the world and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Built in Byzantine style by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, St. Sophia was originally a basilica and the most important religious building in the Eastern Roman Empire.
In 1453, with the fall of Constantinople, the church was transformed into a mosque. In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk turned the mosque into a museum.
Finally, in 2020, after a controversial decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the building was transformed back into a mosque.
With the high influx of people who frequent the building for daily Muslim prayers, the monument has been deteriorating and has been vandalized throughout this period.
In the letter, the archaeologists’ association denounces the damage and the lack of control and security by the authorities, which reveals an indifference towards the preservation of the ancient monument. (FM)
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
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