First Prayer in Hagia Sofia After the Conversion to a Mosque

World | July 24, 2020, Friday // 23:19
Bulgaria: First Prayer in Hagia Sofia After the Conversion to a Mosque pexels.com

Istanbul's historic Hagia Sophia has reopened for Friday prayers for the first time since a decision was made to turn it back into a mosque after more than 80 years as a museum, CNN reports.

Images on Turkish state television showed crowds of Muslims praying in and around the mosque on Friday morning.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated in the Friday prayers, where he recited verses of the Quran.

Some people came from outside Istanbul and spent the night around Hagia Sophia waiting for the prayer, according to CNN Turk.

Only 500 people were invited inside the building because of coronavirus restrictions, according to Turkey's religious affairs director Ali Erbas.

Thousands more prayed in the garden and in Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul's old city.

Last week, Erdogan ordered the conversion of the historic monument after a court annulled a 1934 presidential decree that made it a museum.

The decision, involving one of the city's most important landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been criticized by international religious and political leaders, with UN cultural agency UNESCO among those voicing concern.

However, the move has not prompted wide opposition within Turkey.

The Turkish government has tried to reassure skeptics that the building's Christian artworks and frescoes will not be touched, with technology instead being used to conceal them during Friday prayers. / akipress.com

 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

World » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria