Erdogan personally checks Hagia Sophia's conversion into a mosque
Erdogan personally checked how Hagia Sophia is being converted into a mosque. Photo: britannica.com
On July 19, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Hagia Sophia to check how the process of its transformation into a mosque is going, Interfax reports.
Photos of this visit were published by the Turkish leader’s administration.
Preparatory work is being done inside the Cathedral: special means will be installed in Hagia Sophia to cover the icons during prayers, and carpets will be placed on the floor.
The first Muslim service is expected to be held on July 24, with nearly 500 people taking part in it. It has not yet been announced whether the President of Turkey will be among the worshipers.
As reported by the UOJ, the EU spokesman Josep Borrell said earlier: the EU considers the decision of the Turkish authorities to convert Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum into a mosque “regrettable”.
Read also
U.S. House of Representatives passes ban on sex-change surgeries for minors
The lower house of Congress supported an initiative limiting medical interventions that could have irreversible consequences for the health of minors.
Armenian Church to appeal to international bodies over government pressure
The decision was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council in Etchmiadzin against the backdrop of criminal cases, pressure on the clergy, and the state's attempts to interfere in church life.
Pashinyan's supporters attempt to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia
The confrontation around the Armenian Apostolic Church intensified after rebellious hierarchs called for the Catholicos's resignation and attempted to exert forceful pressure in Etchmiadzin.
Persecuted community of Maliatyntsi celebrates first patronal feast after seizure
In Bukovyna, the faithful of the St. Nicholas community in the village of Maliatyntsi celebrated the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia for the first time after the church seizure.
European authorities downplay scale of Christian persecution, report says
Human rights defenders reported an increase in attacks on believers in the EU and pointed out that official statistics do not reflect the real level of anti-Christian hostility.
Mukachevo Eparchy bishops congratulate orphaned children on St Nicholas Day
Metropolitan Theodore and Bishop Hilarion visited the “New Family” children’s shelter in Uzhhorod.