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Photos: Hikmet Adal / bianet
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Hagia Sophia reopened as a mosque today (July 24) following its conversion from a museum by a presidential decree.
10.00: Crowds started to gather around Hagia Sophia in the early morning. Because of the coronavirus measures, only 500 people are allowed to attend the Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia. Also, five areas were allocated outside for the prayer; two for women and three for men.
11.30: President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and cabinet members are at Hagia Sophia, where intense security measures are taken. All streets around Hagia Sophia are filled with people.
12.00: Quran recitation started.
Erdoğan recited Quran section
12.15: Erdoğan recited the "Fatiha" section of Quran.
13.28: Call for prayer started.
The President kept a distance from others.
Mosaics are covered
Ahead of the prayer, mosaics and frescoes of Hagia Sophia were covered.
Friday sermon with a sword
Ahead of the prayer, Director of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş gave the Friday sermon (khutbah). He climbed to the minbar (mosque pulpit) while holding a sword, which is an Ottoman tradition symbolizing conquest.
Erdoğan visited the tomb of Mehmet II
Erdoğan made a short statement before heading to the tomb of Sultan Mehmed II, who took over İstanbul from the Byzantines.
"After the judiciary saw the truth, this place has returned to what it originally was. Now, it will serve all the believers as a mosque again. Also, it is a place that people from all religions can come and visit as a cultural heritage of humanity. Now, let's visit the grave of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, the real owner of this," he remarked.
He also said that more than 350,000 thousand people attended the prayer, citing "official figures."
Photo: AA
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli accompanied Erdoğan during his visit to Sultan Mehmed II's tomb.
Trump met with US archbishop
Archbishop of America Elpidophoros met with US President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence at the White House today. "I communicated our grave dismay at the re-conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, as well as ongoing security concerns for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and issues of religious liberty," he said on Twitter after the meeting. The US Episcopal Church is within the realm of authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Fatih, İstanbul. Pence also tweeted after the meeting, saying, " America will stand firm with the Greek Orthodox Church in the call for Hagia Sophia to remain accessible as a source of inspiration and reflection for every person of every faith. Protecting Religious Freedom at home and abroad is a foreign policy priority for the United States of America. We cherish the faith and charitable works of the 1.5 million members of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States.." |
What happened?Hagia Sophia was built and served as a church for 916 years until the Ottoman Empire took over İstanbul, and a mosque from 1453 to 1934, and most recently as a museum for 86 years. In 1985, during its time as a museum, Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 10, the Council of State annulled a 1934 cabinet decree that had turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for its use again as a mosque. The decision received criticism from the European Union and several countries. On the same day, Hagia Sophia was handed over to the Religious Affairs Directorate by a presidential decree. On July 16, the Religious Affairs Directorate signed a cooperation protocol with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to run Hagia Sophia after its conversion into a mosque. Under the protocol, the ministry will supervise restoration and conservation work, while the Religious Affairs Directorate will oversee religious services. The architectural treasure will also be open to domestic and foreign tourists free of charge. |
(HA/PT/VK)
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