"however if they close it to non Muslims and deface or remove any of the 1500 year old Christian art it will be a deplorable crime..."
Supposedly the Christian symbols will remain, including the Virgin Mary mosaics. I presume that it will only be open to Muslims if its a Mosque? Not sure, but perhaps they will somehow separate it in a way to allow tourism as well as a place of worship. It's an amazing place, I hope it remains accessible for folks to visit and admire.
