The Final Synthesis

UNESCO Site: The Turkish government maintained that the building remains a UNESCO World Heritage site. Because Islamic tradition generally does not allow figural images during prayer, The Christian mosaics are preserved and simply covered by curtains during prayer times, allowing the building to hold both its Roman and Ottoman histories simultaneously.

The 2020 Verdict: Legally, Hagia Sophia is a Waqf property “endowment”. Its status cannot be

changed. Returning it to a mosque was seen as fulfilling the “will of the Mohammad II”.