Turkey has reopened a mosque converted from an ancient Orthodox church in Istanbul for Muslim worship four years after the president ordered its transformation. The Kariye Mosque was formerly a Byzantine church, then a mosque, and then a museum. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on May 6 that the Kariye Mosque was reopened for worship Read more
Posts Tagged ‘President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’
World Council of Churches appeals Hagia Sophia mosque decision
Thursday, July 16th, 2020
The World Council of Churches has written to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change his mind about turning the Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque. The Council, which represents 350 Churches and over 500 million Christians, says the move would sow division. The Hagia Sophia has been a museum since 1934. The president Read more
Pope meets Turkish President amidst protest
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Pope Francis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met privately on Monday at the Vatican. This is the first visit by a Turkish head of state to the Vatican in 59 years. Erdoğan was returning a visit Francis made to Turkey in 2014. Vatican sources say that at the meeting Francis and Erdoğan discussed “bilateral Read more