Turkey to cover Hagia Sophia's Christian mosaics during prayersJuly 14, 2020 - 18:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Mosaics in Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia will be covered by curtains or lasers during the Muslim prayers, the spokesman for Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has said, according to Al Jazeera. The Christian icons would be uncovered and be open to all visitors at other times, and admission would be free of charge, the AK Party's Omer Celik said on Monday, July 12, without explaining further. A Turkish court last week ruled that the conversion of the sixth-century Byzantine site into a museum in 1934 was unlawful. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the building a mosque and said the first prayers would be held there within two weeks. The move drew international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO, which is now reviewing the structure's World Heritage Site status. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara was surprised by UNESCO's reaction and would let it know of further steps to be taken regarding Hagia Sophia, which was a Byzantine church for nine centuries before the Ottomans converted it to a mosque. The Armenian Church, meanwhile, has condemned Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque as "a politically motivated move that will greatly damage the mutual understanding and dialogue between religions." Photo. Reuters 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 | Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. |