Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 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

Amendments to the draft budget hint at state's readiness to buy Lukoil assets

Two billion euros in additional state guarantees and a concession of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator are part of changes to the draft budget for 2026, submitted between the first and second readings. The change that increases the..

published on 11/25/25 4:47 PM

More than 86% of people say that wage growth in 2025 is not sufficient

The increase in the minimum wage is supported by 54.1% of Bulgarians. 1/3 of respondents believe that the minimum wage should be equal to the living wage. This is indicated by the results of a representative survey by the Myara..

published on 11/25/25 1:19 PM

President Rumen Radev: Peace in Ukraine will be written by the victors

“We see a rational plan for a quick peace from President Donald Trump, according to which the situation on the battlefield is developing extremely unfavorably for Ukraine, and he is trying to prevent a worse scenario and additional casualties,”..

published on 11/25/25 11:14 AM