Turkey marked the sixth anniversary of the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque

Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, issued an official statement marking the sixth anniversary of the change in the status of Hagia Sophia. The minister emphasized that this decision was made directly by the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This was reported by Orthodoxia.info.

In his address, the minister described Hagia Sophia as a “symbol of conquest” and a unique legacy of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Ersoy called the event that took place six years ago a “historic day,” which, he said, fulfilled the long-standing expectations of Turkish society.

In addition, the Turkish minister commented on the ongoing restoration work being carried out inside the architectural monument. According to the official, this is the largest restoration project in the history of the Republic of Turkey. The main goal of the restoration is to preserve this “sacred heritage” in its original form for future generations.