Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan don sign decree wey convert Hagia Sophia, one mighty cathedral for di kontri capital Istanbul, wey dem bin build for olden days into mosque.
Oga Erdogan declare say di Hagia Sophia dey open for Muslim prayers as mosque, one hour afta one senior court, di Council of State, rule say di decision to convert am to museum many years back dey illegal.
Na 1,500 years ago na im dey build di Orthodox Christian cathedral, Hagia Sophia, dem convert am into mosque afta di Ottoman conquest for 1453.
For 1934 e become museum and now na Unesco World Heritage site.
E don tey wey some Muslims for Turkey dey ask make dem convert di museum back to mosque, but some pipo oppose am.
Religious and political leaders all ova di world bin condemn tok to convert di cathedral back to mosque.
E no tey afta court rule say to convert am to museum dey illegal na im dem do di first call to prayer wey all di main news channels for Turkey bin cover live.
Di history of di ogbonge Hagia Sophia
- Hagia Sophia complex history start for di year 537 wen Byzantine emperor Justinian build di ogbonge church wey overlook di Golden Horn harbour
- With im very big dome, di believe na say e be di world largest church and building
- E be remain for Byzantine hands for centuries apart from di brief moment for 1204 wen Crusaders raid di city
- For 1453, for one event wey devastate di Byzantines, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II capture Istanbul (wey dem dey formerly call Constantinople) and die victorious conqueror perform Friday prayers inside Hagia Sophia
- Di Ottomans soon convert di building to mosque, dem add four minarets to di exterior, dem also cover di ornate Christian icons and gold mosaics with panels of Arabic religious calligraphy
- After centuries during di Muslim Ottoman empire, dem turn am to museum for 1934 in a move to make Turkey more secular
- Today Hagia Sophia na Turkey most popular tourist site, e dey attract more dan 3.7 million visitors a year
How di world react?
Unesco bin tell Turkey not to change di status without talking with dem.
Di Eastern Orthodox Church wey bin first build di cathedral, plus Greece, wey be home to millions of Orthodox followers don condemn di proposal.
Greece culture minister Lina Mendoni say, di nationalism wey di president display don cari im kontri “go back to 600 years.
She add say di court decision confam say Turkey “no get independent justice.”
Russia Orthodox Church say dem regret say di Turkey court no even consider dem at all wen dem dey rule on top Hagia Sophia mata.
E say dis decision fit lead to more division.
But di Council State Turkey top administration court tok for dia ruling on Friday say “dem conclude say di settlement deed dem allocate am as mosque and di use outside dis purpose no possible legally.”
“Di cabinet decision for 1934 wey end di use as mosque come turn am to museum no follow di law.”
Meanwhile one Turkish official don tok say tourists still fit visit di site afta e become mosque once more.
