Hagia Sophia laid the background of Turkish performers’ rehearsals for the fourth anniversary of the failed coup attempt on 16 July 2016, which resulted in 50,000 workers being dismissed, 8,000 arrests and scores of news outlets being shut down.
Earlier this week, workers removed museum signs outside the monument ahead of its first prayer service as a mosque on 24 July, to take place just four days after the 46th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
The conversion from a museum to a mosque is not just about Turkey, but a decision which involves all of humanity and has drawn international condemnation. Local groups have called on Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take action. A spokesman from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade responded to a question by Neos Kosmos. “Hagia Sophia is a unique and historic symbol for Turkey and the surrounding region, which holds religious and cultural significance for many religious communities and other groups,” he said.
READ MORE: Experts Opinions: Hagia Sophia’s conversion from a legal, cultural, theological perspective
“It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Australia would like to see Hagia Sophia remain open to all.”