Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria reacts with regret to Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia in Istanbul back into mosque

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Photo: EPA/BGNES

"We join the calls of the international community to preserve the existing access to the monument, given its history and its symbolic significance for Christianity and Islam. We expect the universal historical value of the monument to be preserved as part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage," reads a text published on the website of Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the change of status of the historic house of worship Hagia Sophia in Turkey's capital Istanbul. 

Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree stipulating that the Hagia Sophia building, which currently operates as a museum and is one of the iconic sites of the Turkish capital, would be returned under the auspices of the religion service and converted back into a mosque. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria gets second air ambulance

The second helicopter to provide emergency medical services by air landed in Bulgaria this afternoon, the Health Ministry said. It will be used at the HEMS regional base in the city of Sliven. The eight air medical teams that will work there have..

published on 2/28/25 6:25 PM
Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and H.E. Susan Falatko.

FM Georgiev says US, Bulgaria will continue cooperation

Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev today received at the Foreign Ministry Susan Falatko, who arrived in Sofia a few days ago as Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.  A statement from the Foreign Ministry said that during the meeting, Minister..

published on 2/28/25 5:48 PM
Dimitar Manolov, head of Podkrepa Union

Podkrepa Trade Union to start meetings with parliamentary groups on 2025 state budget

Next week, the Podkrepa Trade Union will begin a series of meetings with parliamentary groups in the National Assembly on the 2025 state budget, BTA reported. During the talks, the unions will offer their views on the increase in salaries in the budget..

published on 2/28/25 4:34 PM