Thousands of Turks gathered near Hagia Sophia early on Friday for the first prayers there since President Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.
back into a mosque a building which was a Christian Byzantine cathedral for 900 years before being seized by Ottoman conquerors and serving as a mosque until 1934.
Hagia Sophia's mosque status. He said Muslims should be able to pray there again and raised the issue — popular with many pious AKP-voting Turks — during local elections last year.
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Thousands gather around Hagia Sophia for first Friday prayersThousands of Turks gathered near Hagia Sophia early on Friday for the first prayers there since President Tayyip Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.
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Thousands gather around Hagia Sophia for first Friday prayersThousands of Turks gathered near Hagia Sophia early on Friday for the first prayers there since President Tayyip Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.
Read more »
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How the Ottoman architect Sinan helped Hagia Sophia survive for centuriesMimar Sinan, an undisputedly greatest architect of the Ottoman era, constructed supporting blocks and minarets around Hagia Sophia in the 16th century, reinforcing its dome and increasing its longevity.
Read more »