Top Turkey court to rule on Hagia SophiaHagia Sophia has been a church and a mosque and is currently a museumISTANBUL - Turkey's top court convened Thursday to consider whether Istanbul's emblematic landmark and former church Hagia Sophia can be redesignated as a mosque, a ruling which could inflame tensions with the West. "Erdogan could not find a more high-profile and potent symbol than Hagia Sophia to achieve all these goals at once," he told AFP. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday urged Turkey to keep Hagia Sophia as a museum, and to ensure it remains accessible to all. Istanbul shoemaker Mahmut Karagoz, 55, said he dreams he can one day pray under the dome of Hagia Sophia. However economics student Sena Yildiz said she believes Hagia Sophia should stay as a museum.

Source: Bangkok Post July 02, 2020 08:15 UTC