Hagia Sophia

It is within the bounds of possibility to change the legal status of the iconic Hagia Sophia Museum, a landmark of Istanbul and a UNESCO World Heritage site, to a mosque as it was before 1935, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 24.

An enormous public fountain from late antiquity - one of the most impressive finds during excavations in 2018 for the construction of the Thessaloniki metro - will form the centerpiece of a new archaeological site in the heart of the northern port city, according to reports.

Picking up where Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left off last week, the defense ministers of both countries will continue exploring ways to keep channels of communications open between Athens and Ankara in the context of NATO's ministerial summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

In the wake of the visit by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Turkey, contacts between Athens and Ankara will continue next week in the context of Wednesday's NATO summit of defense ministers, where Evangelos Apostolakis and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar will discuss confidence-building measures.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will on Wednesday visit the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The visit, which takes place on the second day of Tsipras's trip to Turkey, is scheduled to take place at 9.15 a.m.

Built in the 6th century under order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia - a UNESCO world heritage site - was once Christendom's greatest cathedral.

In an interview with Anadolu news agency ahead of an official visit to Turkey, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras underlined the need for the two countries to build a relationship of "mutual respect." 

Apart from talks in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tsipras is also to visit Hagia Sofia in Istanbul and the Halki Orthodox Seminary.

The first Hagia Sophia was built in 360 AD with a basilica layout and architectural features. In 405, Hagia Sophia was rebuilt after it was burnt down during an uprising and was reopened in 415. The monument today is the third Hagia Sophia built on the same ground, according to records.

Forty-five electrical panels two-meters-long have been placed on the outer walls of Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı or Egyptian Bazaar) located near the iconic Hagia Sophia Museum and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul’s Eminönü neighborhood.

Today, the Bulgarian Church honors the memory of the martyrs Vyara, Nadezhda and Lubov and their mother Sofia.