UNESCO says World Heritage Committee to review Hagia Sophia

PARIS: UNESCO said on Friday its World Heritage Committee would review Hagia Sophia`s status after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared the Istanbul monument a mosque. "It is regrettable that the Turkish decision was not the subject of dialogue nor notification beforehand," the United Nation`s cultural body said in a statement.

"UNESCO calls on the Turkish authorities to open a dialogue without delay in order to avoid a step back from the universal value of this exceptional heritage whose preservation will be reviewed by the World Heritage Committee in its next session," it said.