Hagia Sophia

Your signature will support to reverse the Turkish decision to convert the Hagia Sophia Byzantine Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. “Hagia Sophia is an architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

This decision announced today raises the issue of the impact of this change of status on the property’s universal value. States have an obligation to ensure that modifications do not affect the Outstanding Universal Value of inscribed sites on their territories. UNESCO must be given prior notice of any such modifications, which, if necessary, are then examined by the World Heritage Committee.

532-537 - Hagia Sophia, (holy wisdom) was built as a Christian Cathedral in Constantinople (now Istanbul).
1453-1935 - Constantinople was conquered by Ottomans and turned into a mosque.
1934 - The government of Turkey secularized the Hagia Sophia and turned it into a museum.
1985 - Hagia Sophia was chosen as a UNESCO world heritage site.
July 2020 - Turkish president Erdoğan forced to change the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque.

As a UNESCO World Heritage site, this change would require approval from UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, however, no such permission was given.

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