Hagia Sophia artifacts will be displayed in separate museumJuly 29, 2020 - 10:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A historic building, belonging to a regional directorate of the Istanbul Land Registry and Cadastre at Sultanahmet Square, is set to be turned into a museum where all of Hagia Sophia’s artifacts will be displayed, Hurriyet Daily News reports. The building is currently being evacuated while works to restore Hagia Sophia artifacts are ongoing. Speaking to Demirören News Agency, Istanbul’s Director of Culture and Tourism Coşkun Yılmaz said that the building allocated to become the Hagia Sophia Museum has historical significance. “The famous Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum is right next to the [building],” he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced earlier in July that he would turn the building back into a mosque, fulfilling a longtime promise of his. Later in the month, Erdogan himself attended the first prayer service at the Hagia Sophia in over 86 years. The famous landmark, built as a cathedral during the Byzantine Empire, stood as a place of worship for Greek Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and Muslims for centuries before to being turn into a secular museum in the 1930s. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia. Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements. |