Turkey court ruling paves way for turning Hagia Sophia back into mosque

A court in Turkey has announced that it has ruled in favor of a government-backed proposal to turn the city's famous Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque.

Posted 1:41 p.m. Jul 10, 2020 — Updated 1:41 p.m. Jul 10, 2020

Isil Sariyuce

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Emma Reynolds, CNN

CNN — A court in Turkey has announced that it has ruled in favor of a government-backed proposal to turn the city's famous Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque.

According to semi-official Anadolu Agency, Turkey's top administrative court annulled a 1934 presidential decree converting Hagia Sophia into a museum.

The ruling does not automatically convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It awaits a presidential decree by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has championed the move.

The Hagia Sophia was the Roman Empire's first Christian cathedral and is among the best known Byzantine structures in the world. It switched from a Greek Orthodox cathedral to a mosque in 1453. The historic site then became a museum in 1935.

This is a breaking story. More to follow.

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