Erdogan under fire for Hagia Sophia's conversion

Turkey's highest court annulled Hagia Sophia's museum status, 86 years after the historical building functioned in this capacity.

Built 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453.

In 1934 it became a museum and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

However, the court ruling converts it into a mosque, in a move that is stirring up massive debates, both inside and outside Turkey.

On July 10, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree ordering the museum to be opened for Muslim prayers, an action that provokes international furor.

Erdogan even congratulated the Turkish people on Twitter on this move.

Opposition

The court ruling and Erdogan's decision received mixed reactions inside Turkey.

Some people opposed the move categorically, but others applauded the Turkish president for the same move.

The advocates of converting the museum into a mosque are mainly Turkey's extremist Islamists who had been campaigning for regaining the museum's mosque status for a long time. To these Islamists, the site carries a lot of symbolism.

There was, however, pushback from UNESCO which said Hagia Sophia is inscribed on its world heritage list as a museum which binds the Turkish state to ensure that "no modification is made to the outstanding universal value of the property."

The organization added that communities and others concerned with the property should be ensured inclusive and equitable access to the monument.

United States Secretary General Mike Pompeo urged the Turkish government to continue to maintain the status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul as a museum.

He pushed back on Erdogan’s proposal to restore the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"We urge 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," Pompeo said in a statement.