Turkey's Minister Called Hagia Sophia a Symbol of Ottoman Conquest

The President and Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. Photo: x.com

On July 10, 2026, Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy called Hagia Sophia a "symbol of conquest" and thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for returning the Christian temple to the status of an active mosque. The official wrote about this in his account on X.

"Today is the anniversary of the historic day when, thanks to the signature of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the long wait came to an end and the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia was once again opened for worship," Ersoy stated.

The Minister called Hagia Sophia "a symbol of conquest and the priceless heritage of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror." According to him, the Turkish authorities intend to preserve the building in precisely this capacity and pass it on to future generations.

"At Hagia Sophia, we are carrying out the most extensive restoration works in the history of the Turkish Republic with particular care, in order to preserve this shrine in accordance with its original appearance and pass it on to future generations," the official wrote. He also expressed gratitude to Erdogan, "who led the process of reopening Hagia Sophia for worship."

The Cathedral of Hagia Sophia was the main Christian church of the Byzantine Empire for nearly a thousand years. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was converted into a mosque, and in 1935 — into a museum. In July 2020, a Turkish court annulled the monument's museum status, after which Erdogan signed a decree converting it into a mosque. UNESCO expressed concern over the change in status of the World Heritage site.

Previously, the UOJ reported that officials in Turkey were arrested over extortion near the Church of Constantinople.

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