{"id":17291,"date":"2026-07-10T21:55:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/turkeys-culture-minister-sparks-outrage-with-hagia-sophia-fall-of-constantinople-post-greek-city-times\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T21:55:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T21:55:30","slug":"turkeys-culture-minister-sparks-outrage-with-hagia-sophia-fall-of-constantinople-post-greek-city-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/turkeys-culture-minister-sparks-outrage-with-hagia-sophia-fall-of-constantinople-post-greek-city-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey’s Culture Minister sparks outrage with Hagia Sophia ‘Fall of Constantinople’ post \u2013 Greek City Times"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Turkey\u2019s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy<\/strong>, has sparked fresh controversy after describing Hagia Sophia<\/strong> as a \u201csymbol of the Fall of Constantinople\u201d in a social media post marking six years since the landmark was reconverted into a mosque.<\/p>\n

The post commemorated the anniversary of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s<\/strong> decision to restore Hagia Sophia\u2019s status as a Muslim place of worship in July 2020, reversing its designation as a museum.<\/p>\n

Referring to the monument as \u201cthe priceless legacy of the Conqueror Sultan Mehmed,\u201d Ersoy said restoration work was continuing to preserve the historic building for future generations.<\/p>\n

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Cumhurba\u015fkan\u0131m\u0131z Say\u0131n @RTErdogan<\/a>\u2019\u0131n imzas\u0131yla hasretin sona erdi\u011fi, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i \u015eerifi\u2019nin yeniden ibadete a\u00e7\u0131ld\u0131\u011f\u0131 tarihi g\u00fcn\u00fcn y\u0131l d\u00f6n\u00fcm\u00fcndeyiz.<\/p>\n

Fethin sembol\u00fc, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han\u2019\u0131n e\u015fsiz emaneti Ayasofya\u2019da; Cumhuriyet tarihinin en kapsaml\u0131 restorasyon\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/V3gliqFJ8B<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (@MehmetNuriErsoy) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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\u201cAt Hagia Sophia, the priceless legacy of Conqueror Sultan Mehmed, we are carrying out the most extensive restoration work in the history of the Republic of Turkey with great care, so that this sacred heritage can be preserved and passed on to future generations in a manner faithful to its authentic form,\u201d Ersoy wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He also publicly thanked President Erdogan for leading the effort to reopen Hagia Sophia for Islamic worship, sharing a photograph of the pair inside the monument.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI express my gratitude to our President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who led the reopening of Hagia Sophia as a place of worship,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Symbolic language reignites tensions<\/h3>\n

Ersoy\u2019s reference to Hagia Sophia as a \u201csymbol of the Fall\u201d<\/strong>\u2014a clear reference to the 1453 Fall of Constantinople<\/strong>\u2014is likely to fuel renewed criticism in Greece, where the Byzantine-era cathedral remains a powerful symbol of Orthodox Christianity and Hellenic heritage.<\/p>\n

Originally constructed in AD 537<\/strong> as the principal cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It became a museum in 1935 under Mustafa Kemal Atat\u00fcrk before being reconverted into a mosque by presidential decree in 2020.<\/p>\n

The move drew widespread international criticism at the time from Greece<\/strong>, UNESCO<\/strong>, the European Union<\/strong>, and numerous Christian churches, which argued that the decision undermined the monument\u2019s universal cultural and religious significance.<\/p>\n

Ersoy\u2019s latest remarks come amid continued sensitivities over the status of Hagia Sophia and broader tensions between Greece and Turkey over historical heritage and regional issues.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n