DOOM Russia: the new status of Hagia Sophia - the victory of the Christians, Jews and Muslims
Change the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul, its conversion into a mosque is a positive transformation for the Jews, Muslims and Christians, as there now will be the common for all Abrahamic religions God, said the first Deputy head of the Spiritual administration of Muslims (DUM) of Russia Damir Mukhetdinov.
The state Council, Turkey's highest administrative court - July 10, annulled the decision of 1934 the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a Museum. Immediately after this, the Turkish President announced that he had signed a decree about the transformation of the Cathedral into a mosque and the beginning of Muslim worship there. They will begin on July 24.
In UNESCO, the number of States of the world and in the Russian Orthodox Church, unfortunately, reacted to this decision. So, in comments to RIA Novosti the head of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk said that the transformation of the Cathedral into a mosque looks as a conscious aggravation of interreligious relations and will be negatively perceived in Russia as well as complicate inter-state contacts.
"I am surprised by the attitude of certain Orthodox hierarchs. Hagia Sophia is a temple of God, which now are not just Museum pieces, and will be praising God, common to Jews, Christians and Muslims. So I think that this (the return of the Hagia Sophia status of the mosque – ed.) – the victory of all believers – and Christians, Jews and Muslims," he mukhetdinov told RIA Novosti.
According to him, in religious communities "will not be conflict" in connection with the change of status of St. Sophia, her, as before, will be able to visit representatives of different faiths.
"Millions of people will have the opportunity to visit this temple for free, to admire its style, beautiful images, including the Christian. Not see that there can be any problems", - said the representative of the DUMAS of the Russian Federation.
Earlier on Monday a press-service of the Kremlin reported that the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin said there will be guaranteed access for everyone to the Hagia Sophia and the safety of Christian Holy places in this cultural monument.
The Cathedral of Sveta Sofia (Hagia Sophia) was founded by the Christian Emperor Justinian and inaugurated on 27 December 537. Cathedral over a thousand years was the largest Christian Church in the world. After the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans and the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Cathedral was converted into a mosque but since 1934 the building by decree of the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Ataturk became a Museum and was included in the world heritage list of UNESCO.