Greek Foreign Ministry condemns damage to Hagia Sophia’s historic Imperial Gate

·

The Greek Foreign Ministry has expressed its “disgust and sadness” on Tuesday following reports of the “vandalism” of the Imperial Gate of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

“We call on the competent authorities to do their due diligence in order for those responsible to be brought to justice and the damage to the Monument to be immediately repaired,” the Ministry’s statement read.

READ MORE: UNESCO asks Turkey for Hagia Sophia report as Erdogan marks anniversary of mosque change.

This comes after the Turkish Union of Art History (STD) shared a picture on Twitter on Tuesday showing the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate badly damaged.

The Imperial Gate, the central door of Hagia Sophia, is about 7 meters high and the Byzantines claimed it was constructed of wood from Noah’s Ark.

According to the tweet, the head of security on duty at the UNESCO World Heritage Site said: “Don’t worry, this can be fixed.”

READ MORE: Hagia Sophia: From World Heritage monument to the mosque of sultans.

The damage was discovered after the first tarawih prayer in 88 years, a special evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, was held in Hagia Sophia.

In response, the deputy general secretary of the municipality of Istanbul, Mahir Polat, condemned those responsible for the damage, sigmalive.com reports.

“The person or persons who caused this disaster should be identified through a camera. The matter should be taken to the prosecutor, as they intentionally caused damage to the number one historic building, the Hagia Sophia,” Mr Polat said.

READ MORE: Australia’s Greek organisations denounce conversion of Hagia Sophia into mosque.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Prespes lakes face severe drought threat

Scientists are warning of the “slow death” of the Prespes lakes, as water levels have dropped to their lowest point in 35 years.

Popular mountain destination in Greece introduces ‘culture fee’ per night for visitors

Tourists staying in the Municipality of Zagori will now pay a €0.75 “culture fee” per night for hotel or short-term rental accommodations.

Greece declares 2026 a tribute year to Manos Hadjidakis

The Greek Ministry of Culture has proclaimed 2026 a year dedicated to honoring Manos Hadjidakis, the visionary composer.

Greece to deregister 285,000 inactive university students

Greece’s Education Ministry will remove over 285,000 inactive students from university records in December, Sofia Zacharaki announced

My Greek Kitchen’s Niki Louca shares her favourite Pavlova Roll recipe

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for a pavlova roll with The Greek Herald.

You May Also Like

Kytherians in Australia to be interviewed for new documentary

A new documentary will feature stories of people who migrated from Kythera to Australia in the 20th and early 21st century.

Firefighting fleet returns from Greece as McDermott Aviation gears up for Australian summer

McDermott Aviation’s heavy-lift firefighting helicopters have arrived home after completing an international deployment across Greece.

Water bombers and crew return to Australia after fighting wildfires across Greece

Four water-bombing helicopters and twenty crew members have been redeployed back to Australia from Greece.