Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia landmark back into a mosque has been met with criticism across the world.
Pope Francis on Sunday, in the Vatican's first reaction to the move to transform the Byzantine-era monument back into a mosque, joined the international chorus of condemnation.
It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, then became a museum in 1935. "The outrage and the arrogance doesn't just concern the Orthodox Church and Christianity but all of civilised humanity... independently of religion," he added.
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