The historical Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey marked the third anniversary of its re-opening as a mosque on July 24.
Ali Erbas, head of the Turkish Presidency for Religious Affairs, performed the Fajr (dawn) prayer at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, expressing his happiness at the reopening of this architectural marvel, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
In a heartfelt statement, Erbas referred to the reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque as “one of the happiest days of his life.”
He noted that nearly 21 million visitors have visited this iconic landmark since its reopening.
Hagia Sophia: Historical icon
The iconic monument is located in the Sultanahmet district on the European side of Istanbul and served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul. It then served as a mosque from 1453 to 1934 – nearly 500 years – and most recently as a museum for 86 years.
Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Ottoman Sultan, performed the first Friday prayer after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453.
One of the most visited historical buildings in Turkey by local and international tourists, in 1985, during its time as a museum, Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court annulled a 1934 cabinet decision that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for its use again as a mosque.
On July 24, 2020, the Hagia Sophia mosque reopened for worship for the first time in 86 years.
Besides being a mosque, Hagia Sophia is also among Turkey’s top tourism destinations and remains open for domestic and foreign visitors.
