Pope Francis says he is ‘very distressed’ by Turkey’s decision to turn Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque.
The famous tourist attraction was originally built in AD 537 as a Christian Byzantine cathedral, but under the Muslim Ottoman Empire served as a mosque between 1453 and 1935.
For the last 85 years the historical building has been a non-religious museum, THOUGH controversial Turkish President Recep Erdogan announced that Muslim prayers would begin on the 24th of July.
The move is seen by many as an attempt to garner more support from his party’s largely conservative and religious voter base.
In response, the Pope has said his ‘thoughts go to Istanbul, I am thinking of the Hagia Sophia. I am very distressed’.
The Greek government has also appealed to UNESCO about the conversion, claiming the return of religion to the historical building will undermine its international heritage status.
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