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Hagia Sophia

Senator-elect John Fetterman Blasts Turkey on Religious Freedom

Senator-elect of Pennsylvania John Fetterman recently released a statement regarding his opposition to Turkey’s treatment of the religious freedom of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Orthodox Christianity. Fetterman, on Tuesday, won the race against Dr. Mehmet Oz who was strongly backed...

The Brave Greek Priest Who Held a Liturgy in Hagia Sophia in 1919

A brave Greek priest managed to hold an Orthodox liturgy in Hagia Sophia in 1919 at a time when the iconic cathedral was being used as a mosque. It is commonly believed that the last Orthodox liturgy in Hagia Sophia in...

Hagia Sophia Replica in Syria Attacked by Jihadists; Two dead

At least two people were killed following Sunday’s terrorist attack at a ceremony marking the opening of a Hagia Sophia Replica in Syria’s northwestern Hama province. More than a dozen were injured in what appears to be a jihadist drone...

Hagia Sophia’s Imperial Gate Vandalized Again

The Hagia Sophia's historic Imperial Gate has been damaged again, as vandals appear to have pried out one of the metal plates on the 15th century oakwood door. It was the second time the door has been damaged in...

Ancient Marble Floors Damaged in Hagia Sophia

A number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia have been damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site, according to Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet. The historic building, which was built as a church in the Byzantine...

The Sound of Hagia Sophia, Recreated Centuries Later

The sound of Hagia Sophia was recreated recently by two scholars from California’s Stanford University by simply popping a balloon. Bissera Pentcheva, a professor of art history, has published a book on the subject titled Hagia Sophia: Sound, Space, and...

Hagia Sophia Features in New Turkish Passports

Hagia Sophia, the symbolic center of the Greek Orthodox faith that was converted by Turkey into a mosque in 2020, will be featured in the new Turkish passport, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday. According to the Turkish president,...

Greece Asks UNESCO to Press Turkey on Hagia Sophia Vandalism

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “sadness and disgust” at the vandalism to a door of Hagia Sophia in a call with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, on Thursday. Mitsotakis said that the damage to the Imperial Gate demonstrated disrespect...

Hagia Sophia’s 6th Century Imperial Gate Vandalized

The historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia has been badly damaged, a Turkish group announced on Tuesday. The Turkish Association of Art Historians (STD) posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate. The Imperial...

Hagia Sophia to Hold First Ramadan Prayer in 88 Years

Hagia Sophia, the symbolic center of the Greek Orthodox faith that was converted by Turkey into a mosque in 2020, will hold its first tarawih prayer in 88 years, a special evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of...