Changing the Use of the Hagia Sophia Museum to a Mosque from the Perspective of International Law

Document Type : Case Study

Authors

1 Associate Professor, University of Qom, Iran

2 Master of International Law, University of Qom, Iran

10.22034/law.2024.61038.3378

Abstract

On July 24, 2020, after the Turkish Supreme Court's decision, the Turkish media announced the performance of Friday prayers in the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List are the common heritage of humanity. And the international community is committed to preserving it for future generations. Changing, restoring, or developing a heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List is something, with its conditions, that has been allowed, and it has happened. Governments must ensure that such changes do not affect the outstanding universal values of the heritage in question. Some governments may unilaterally change a World Heritage Site’s statute without prior discussion and negotiation with relevant UNESCO bodies. Recently, the Turkish government converted the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque, by the decision of the Turkish Supreme Administrative Court, which caused a lot of international criticism. This article examines the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum to a mosque from the point of view of the proponents, opponents, and relevant international rules, as well as the issue of outstanding universal values. According to the research, it is possible to change the statute of a heritage inscribed on the World Heritage List, if it does not damage the outstanding Universal values of the heritage because there are similar examples of change and the Convention does not prohibit such actions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. الف) منابع فارسی

    1. آجلی لاهیجی و احسن‌نژاد، مسعود (1403). آثار استمرار اشغال فلسطین نسبت به دولت‌های ثالث؛ مواضع احتمالی دیوان بین‌المللی دادگستری. مطالعات حقوق تطبیقی معاصر، 15(34)، 28-1.

    Doi: 10.22034/law.2024.58212.3314

    1. ترمان، علی اکبر و ملکوتی، سیدحسین (1402). تأملی بر مفهوم حق رأی با رویکرد ارتقای مبانی نظری حق انتخاب شدن اعضای شورا‌های اسلامی شهر و روستا در پرتو قانون اساس. مطالعات حقوق تطبیقی معاصر،  14(31)، 111-83.       Doi: 10.22034/law.2023.40448.3046
    2. فروغی، فضل‌الله؛ صادقی، محمدهادی و غنی، کیوان (1399). پیامدهای ثبت میراث فرهنگی در فهرست میراث جهانی یونسکو بر اعمال حاکمیت و مسئولیت دولت­ها، فصلنامه مطالعات راهبردی، 23(2)، 212-181.
    3. خبرگزاری صدا و سیما (1399). ادامه هشدار‌های بین‌المللی درباره تغییر کاربری ایاصوفیه استانبول. ایریب نیوز. برگفته از https://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/2759196 (1399، 3 مرداد)
    4. خبرگزاری آناتولی (1399). دیوان عالی اداری ترکیه مصوبه تبدیل «ایاصوفیه» به موزه را لغو کرد، برگفته از https://xoli.ir/4m (1399، 3 مرداد)
    5. رزوی نیوز (1399). اقدام اردوغان در تبدیل «ایاصوفیا» به مسجد، روابط اسلام و مسیحیت را تخریب می‌کند؟. برگرفته از https://www.razavi.news/fa/report/58336 ( 1399، 1 مرداد)
    6. مشهدی، علی (1394). تأملی بر رویکردهای حمایت از میراث فرهنگی از منظر فقه حکومتی، مطالعات حقوق تطبیقی معاصر، 6 (10)، 144-127.
    7. هاشمی، سید محمدعلی (1394). مکان‌های مقدس در آموزه‌های اسلامی و حقوق بین‌الملل، میقات حج، 24(93) 43- 21.

    ب) لاتین

    1. CCPR General Comment No. 22: Article 18 (Freedom of Thought, Conscience or Religion).
    2. Cleere, Henry. The Concept of 'Outstanding Universal Value' in the World Heritage Convention. Conservation And Management of Archaeological Sites, Volume 1.1996.
    • Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
    • Marshall J. Breger, Yitzhak Reiter and Others. Sacred Space in Israel and Palestine, 1nd ed. (Routledge, USA and Canada. 2012).
    • The Operational Guidelinesfor the Implementation Ofthe World Heritage Convention 2019 Paragraph 49.
    • Dailysabah (2020). Turkey Meets UNESCO Obligations in Change of Hagia Sophia’s status, Jul 13. https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/­turkey-meets-unesco-obligations-in-change-of-hagia-sophias-status/­ne­ws (20 Jul, 2020).
    • Unesco (2020). https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-statement-hagia-sophia-istanbul, (21Jul, 2020).
    • Franceculture (2020). le Président Erdoğan Ordonne la Reconversion de Sainte-Sophie en mosquée, 2 Jul. https://www.franceculture.fr/­geopolitique/a-istanbul-la-tres-disputee-sainte-sophie-va-t-elle-etre-reconvertie-en-mosquee(26 Jul, 2020)
    • Haber7 (2020). Bakan Çavuşoğlupaylaşmıştı: İşte Sultan Fatih'in Ayasofya Vakfiyesitercümesi, https://www.haber7.com/guncel/haber/­2984397-bakan-cavusoglu-paylasmisti-iste-sultan-fatihin-ayasofya-vakfiyesi-tercumesi/?detay=1 (26 Oct, 2020).
    • Milliyet (2020). UNESCO'yamaddemadde Ayasofyacevabı, https://www.­milliyet.com.tr/gundem/unescoya-madde-madde-ayasofya-cevabi 6257026 (Jul 27, 2020).
    • https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/313 (2 Oct, 2020).
    • https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/3232 (3 Oct, 2020).
    • https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ReligionOrBelief.aspx (26 Oct, 2020).
    • Independent (2020). St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum Extension Projected to be Completed by 2018, https://www.independent.com.mt/­articles/2016-08-07/local-news/St-John-s-Co-Cathedral-Museum-Exten­sion-projected-to-be-completed-by-2018-6736162065(26 Jul, 2020).
    • https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-cath%C3%A9drale_Saint-Jean_de_­La_Valette(12octobre 2020).
    • Maltatoday (2017). St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum Closed for Extension and Refurbishment Works, https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/­arts/cultural_diary/76058/st_johns_cocathedral_museum_closed_for_extension_and_refurbishment_works#.X4Q2U9AzYdU(12oct, 2020).
    • Smithsonianmag (2020).Turkey Controversially Converts Hagia Sophia From Museum Into Mosque, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turkey-turns-hagia-sophia-museum-mosque-drawing-criticism-180975300/ (26Jul, 2020).
    • i24news (2020). Turquie: des mosaïques chrétiennes de Sainte-Sophie Recouvertes Pendant Les Prières Musulmanes https://www.i24news.tv/­fr/actu/international/moyen-orient/1595235489-turquie-des-mosaiques-chretiennes-de-sainte-sophie-recouvertes-pendant-les-prieres-musulma­nes (26Jul, 2020)
Jurisprudence and Islamic Law
Volume 15, Issue 36
November 2025
Pages 259-282

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics