Minister of Culture Boil Banov: Mosques in Bulgaria are world cultural heritage

On January 7, 2018, after restauration, the Iron Church “St. Stefan” in Istanbul was officially opened. At the opening of the repaired temple the Turkish President Erdoğan raised the issue regarding the many Ottoman mosques, baths and bridges on the territory of Bulgaria which also need restauration. This in turn has led to a number of debates, discussions and assumptions in our country how to interpret the words of the President Erdoğan for reciprocity actions on behalf of the Bulgarian state after the financing the restauration of the Bulgarian temple by our Turkish neighboring country.

During a participation in the weekend television of BTV and in a conversation with the host Zheni Marcheva on January 14, the Bulgarian Minister of culture Boil Banov said that both the Iron church in Istanbul and a significant part of the mosques in Bulgaria are world cultural heritage. To the question “Have we undertaken the commitment to restore mosques here?” Banov shared: “Currently our country does not have officially undertaken commitments to restore mosques here, but this is most natural…So I think that naturally it will be reached to such an agreement.”

“Otherwise we will be in a situation that Turkey is more tolerant of the diversity and the differences than Bulgaria. And neither is it, nor should it be perceived like this”, added on the topic the Bulgarian Minister of Culture Banov in BTV’s studio.

Author: L. Chausheva

Photo: BTV news