Hagia Sophia: UNESCO deeply regrets the
decision of the Turkish authorities, made without prior discussion, and
calls for the universal value of World Heritage to be preserved
Paris, Friday 10 July – The Director-General of
UNESCO deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish authorities, made
without prior discussion, to change the status of Hagia Sophia. This
evening, she shared her serious concerns with the Ambassador of Turkey
to UNESCO.
Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a property
inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. “Hagia Sophia is an
architectural masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between
Europe and Asia over the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the
universal nature of its heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for
dialogue,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
This decision announced today raises the issue of the impact of this
change of status on the property’s universal value. States have an
obligation to ensure that modifications do not affect the Outstanding
Universal Value of inscribed sites on their territories. UNESCO must be
given prior notice of any such modifications, which, if necessary, are
then examined by the World Heritage Committee.
UNESCO also recalls that the effective, inclusive and equitable
participation of communities and other stakeholders concerned by the
property is necessary to preserve this heritage and highlight its
uniqueness and significance. The purpose of this requirement is to
protect and transmit the Outstanding Universal Value of heritage, and it
is inherent to the spirit of the World Heritage Convention.
These concerns were shared with the Republic of Turkey in several
letters, and again yesterday evening with the representative of the
Turkish Delegation to UNESCO. It is regrettable that the Turkish
decision was made without any form of dialogue or prior notice. UNESCO
calls upon the Turkish authorities to initiate dialogue without delay,
in order to prevent any detrimental effect on the universal value of
this exceptional heritage, the state of conservation of which will be
examined by the World Heritage Committee at its next session.
“It is important to avoid any implementing measure, without prior
discussion with UNESCO, that would affect physical access to the site,
the structure of the buildings, the site’s moveable property, or the
site’s management,” stressed Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant
Director-General for Culture. Such measures could constitute breaches of
the rules derived from the 1972 World Heritage Convention.