The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has not yet been notified by Turkey of the required guarantees that Hagia Sophia will be preserved after being converted from a museum into a mosque, UNESCO’s press office told TASS on Friday.
"We have not received full information yet. Access to the cathedral is among a variety of issues, including the preservation of structural integrity and interior elements, management methods and others," the spokesperson explained adding that UNESCO would do its utmost to gather as much information as possible concerning the preservation of that cultural site.
According to the source, the decision to change the status of Hagia Sophia museum will be discussed at a next session of the World Heritage Committee, which comprises representatives of 21 member states.
To remind, earlier UNESCO expressed its deepest regret for Turkey’s decision to change the status of Hagia Sophia without preliminary dialogue.
