“It is not an abnormal proposal. It is not something impossible, it could be done easily. We could even name it as the Hagia Sophia Mosque instead of a museum so that everybody can visit it without charge,” Erdoğan said during a live interview on a private broadcaster when asked whether the museum could be free of charge for Turkish citizens.

“Ayasofya (Haghia Sophia) will no longer be called a museum. Its status will change. We will call it a mosque,” Erdoğan said during a live televised program.

Slamming criticism of the decision by foreign officials, Erdoğan recalled their silence over the attacks on Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“Those who remain silent when Masjid Al-Aqsa is attacked, trampled, its windows smashed, cannot tell us what to do about the status of Ayasofya,” he said.

Hagia Sophia, dubbed “8th Wonder of the World” by historians, is one of the most visited museums in the world in terms of art and architecture history.

It was used as a church for 916 years. In 1453, it was converted into a mosque by Fatih Sultan Mehmet when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul.

“Its status of museum could be stripped off. Actually that status was given by a step taken with the mentality of the [Republican People’s Party] CHP. We can take that step taken by the CHP mentality back,” he added, referring to the regulation adopted by the main opposition party in 1935.

Erdoğan also pointed to other historical mosques in Istanbul, such as the Blue (Sultanahmet) Mosque, which are open to all visitors and worshipers without charge.

Built in the 6th century by the East Roman Empire, Hagia Sophia served as the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church for nearly a thousand years.

Following restoration works made during the Ottoman era and minarets added by Mimar Sinan, the Hagia Sophia became one of the most important monuments of world architecture.

Source:  hurriyetdailynews.com