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"There is no need to worry, Hagia Sophia will be guarded as it used to. We sign a protocol, which says it will be preserved as a global heritage site in compliance with international standards. Restoration works in the buildings will be accelerated. Foreign tourists will be able to attend Hagia Sophia free of charge,"The Diyanet head, Ali Erbas, added that the Turkish government expects an increased flow of visitors to Hagia Sophia.
"Hagia Sophia is a heritage of the entire humanity, it is one of the best historical and cultural sites, and we feel honoured to preserve it. I believe that the number of people coming there both for prayer and for a visit will grow to millions."
A black resin and steel statue, erected secretly in the dark of night where the figure of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston once stood in Bristol, has been removed by the city council after just one day.
Despite the artist claiming it would be "extremely difficult to move," council contractors removed the Reid statue at roughly 5:20am local time on Thursday morning.
The removal of the over 100-year-old statue of the wealthy merchant, politician, and slave owner Colston came amid a groundswell of anti-racism protests across the world in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
However, the replacement statue itself caused controversy and generated heated debate online, with many Bristolians praising the gesture, but others decrying how disrespectful it was.
Comment: The consequences show how wise it was to change the rules of engagement in the middle of a pandemic and a civil protest movement.