Russian church leader says calls to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque threaten Christianity

Patriarch Kirill, the leader of Russia’s Orthodox Church, said on Monday that calls to convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque posed a threat to Christianity.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed restoring the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, an ancient building at the heart of both the Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires and now one of Turkey’s most visited monuments.

The proposal has been criticized by several religious and political leaders, including the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, spirtual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, as well as Greece, France and the United States.

“A threat against Hagia Sophia is a threat to all of Christian civilization, meaning (a threat to) our spirituality and history,” Patriarch Kirill said in a statement.

“What could happen to Hagia Sophia will cause deep pain among the Russian people.”

The Kremlin said on Monday it hoped Turkish authorities would take into account Hagia Sophia’s status as a World Heritage Site.

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

> Politics

Russian church leader says calls to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque threaten Christianity

"What could happen to Hagia Sophia will cause deep pain among the Russian people"

Ask me anything

> Latest Stories

The great challenge of Humanity’s return to the Moon with Artemis II: The 4 astronauts, their new “home” and the enormous risks (photos)

Pavlos de Grece: Attended the March 25th military parade, “We have a strong homeland, what I saw lights up your soul”

Divine Liturgy in Lebanon for March 25th, “We are very afraid,” says Greek woman to protothema (video-photos)

The Grand Military Parade in Athens for March 25th (videos-photos)

Road closures today (25/3) in Athens: Traffic measures in the city center – What applies to the metro

Weather – March 25: Parades with rain and cloudiness, improvement from midday – New bad weather coming from Friday

IMF gives Greece a “large” thumbs-up: Surprise at resilience, praise for policies – But also recommendations

Trump’s proclamation for March 25: “We honor the wisdom and determination of the Greek people”

> World

The great challenge of Humanity’s return to the Moon with Artemis II: The 4 astronauts, their new “home” and the enormous risks (photos)

The veteran who is afraid of heights on Earth, the one who “knows everything,” the electrical engineer, and the pilot with the cookies will have to make critical decisions while losing communication with Earth

Four missile attacks on Israel in just 40 minutes – Iran received Trump’s 15-point plan, reports the Associated Press (Update)

Channel 12: The 14 points of Trump’s proposal to end the war – Terms on uranium enrichment and the Strait of Hormuz

The “miraculous” CAR-T cells: The Greek scientist and the new treatment for autoimmune diseases

The Times: The British Royal Navy will lead an international force to open the Strait of Hormuz