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Museum or mosque? Turkey sparks debate over fate of Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia

The change in the status of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia is now being debated in Turkey

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A general view of Hagia Sophia Museum, one of Istanbul's main tourist attractions

© EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU

People visiting the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

The 6th-century building is now at the center of a heated debate between conservative groups who want it to be reconverted into a mosque and those who believe the World Heritage site should remain a museum

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

A tourist using her tablet to take a picture inside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul, Turkey

© AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

People visiting the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul, Turkey

© EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

An aerial view of Hagia Sophia in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul

Visitors walking inside the Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul

© AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

The Hagia Sophia was built in 532-537 on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1453

© AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

In 1935, under a decree signed by founder of the modern Turkish state Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the cathedral became a museum

© EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

In 1985, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

© AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Turkey's most visited monuments. The change in the status of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia is now being debated in the country and it could be reconverted into a mosque. The CNN Turk TV earlier reported that Turkey’s Council of State had discussed the issue on July 2 on instructions from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia is an example of Byzantine architecture built in 532-537 on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1453. In 1935, under a decree signed by founder of the modern Turkish state Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the cathedral became a museum. In 1985, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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