Hagia Sophia Russia

For almost a thousand years it operated as a church sometimes orthodox sometimes catholic before being converted into a mosque in 1453 following the byzantine empire s fall.

Hagia sophia russia. The hagia sofia operated as a church for almost 1 000 years before being turned into a mosque and later a museum. Hagia sophia ˈ h ɑː ɡ i ə s oʊ ˈ f iː ə. Turkey s decision to turn hagia sophia into a mosque has sparked public outcry in russia and beyond but is an internal turkish affair in which no one should intervene russian deputy foreign minister sergei vershinin said today while highlighting the importance of this world cultural heritage site. Our turkish partners explained that everything will be preserved in the best possible way and everyone will be able to visit hagia sophia.

Gavrilov s statement comes just days after the russian orthodox church expressed its dismay at turkey s decision to convert the hagia sophia a former orthodox cathedral into a mosque. A threat against hagia sophia is a threat to all of christian civilization the head of the russian church patriarch kirill said in a july 6 statement according to reuters. Founded by the christian emperor justinian the hagia sofia was consecrated in the year 537 as a byzantine cathedral. The first time the hagia sophia was converted into a mosque following the 1453 conquest of constantinople by the ottoman empire the rulers of moscow believed the orthodox cathedral s demise.

The head of the russian orthodox church roc patriarch kirill denounced the move saying that a threat against hagia sophia is a threat to all christian civilization it was an unacceptable violation of religious freedom said metropolitan hilarion chairman of the roc s department for external relations. Holy wisdom officially the hagia sophia grand mosque turkish. Ayasofya i kebir camii şerifi and formerly the church of hagia sophia is a late antique place of worship in istanbul built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial.