Hagia Sophia conversion ‘healed a wound,’ says Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that the conversion of the world-famous Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul – originally founded as an Orthodox Christian cathedral – into a mosque had “healed a wound in the heart of the conquest.”
“Hagia Sophia has regained its status in our civilization as the flying flag in the heart of Istanbul,” Erdogan told MPs of his AK Party.
His comments came after Turkey’s controversial weekend anniversary celebration of the 1453 conquest of the city.
