Istanbul's Hagia Sophia awarded Italian honor

The historic Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul has been granted Italy's prestigious Rotondi Award to Saviors of Art for restoration work done at the museum. In a statement yesterday, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said the award is presented annually to individuals or institutions making contributions to cultural heritage. The award is presented in three categories – Italy, Europe and the world – and the 2010 Europe Award was presented to the museum's director, Professor Haluk Dursun.