UNESCO asks Turkey for report on Hagia SophiaJuly 24, 2021 - 14:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The World Heritage Committee of the UN's cultural agency UNESCO on Friday, July 23 asked Turkey to submit by early next year a report about the state of conservation of the Hagia Sophia, expressing "grave concern" over the consequences of its conversion into a mosque, AFP reports (via Barron's). Turkey's move last year to convert the revered Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia cathedral from a museum into a mosque sparked fury from the international community and added to tensions with Greece. A month later Ankara ordered another ancient Orthodox church to be converted into a mosque. The Holy Saviour in Chora was a medieval Byzantine church decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement that remain treasured in the Christian world. The UN body's World Heritage Committee asked Turkey to submit by Feb 1, 2022 "an updated report on the state of conservation of the property". It said it "deeply regrets the lack of dialogue and information" over Turkey's intention to change the status of Hagia Sophia and Chora museums. The committee expressed "grave concern about the potential impact of changes at these key components may have on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property" and urged Turkey to engage in international cooperation and dialogue before any further major changes are implemented at the property. 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 | Director General of Ucom takes part in recruiting conference Ralph Yirikian participated in the Recruit Days business and networking conference organized by Move2Career. Ameriabank named Best Bank in Armenia for 2024 by Global Finance Ameriabank has been named the Best Bank in Armenia by Global Finance magazine in its 31st annual awards. Armenia to participate in key EU meeting for the first time ever National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan has said that Armenia will for the first time participate in the Conference. Lavrov rejects Armenia’s “defamation” of Russia, CSTO Lavrov decried the Armenian leaders’ “defamation” of Russian soldiers and border guards deployed in Armenia. |