The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia issued a statement today on the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.
The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands expresses the sorrow of the faithful of its territory for this move of the Turkish president to convert “one of the most famous buildings in the world” into a mosque again after 86 years.
The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia mentions Ataturk’s movement to turn the temple into a museum “as a symbolic end to the conflict and the beginning of peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians” in contrast to the current move by Erdogan, for whom they pray to “reconsider his decision and maintain the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum, which is accepted by both the faithful and the secular society.”