UNESCO says World Heritage Committee to review Hagia Sophia

PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - 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 dialog nor notification beforehand," the United Nation's cultural body said in a statement.

"UNESCO calls on the Turkish authorities to open a dialog 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. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas Editing by Chris Reese)