The First Friday Prayer in Hagia Sophia After 86 Years
Istanbul is living a historical day at the Hagia Sophia Mosque. Muslims performed Friday prayers for the first time in Hagia Sophia 86 years later, with the participation of President Erdoğan. After the prayer in Hagia Sophia Mosque, President Erdoğan and MHP President Bahçeli visited tomb of Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
A Short History of the Hagia Sophia Mosque
Hagia Sophia was the largest church built by the Eastern Roman Empire in Istanbul and was built three times in the same place. Hagia Sophia, which was open to worship as a church for 916 years, was converted into a mosque when Fatih Sultan Mehmed conquered Istanbul in 1453.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who performed his first Friday prayer in Istanbul on June 1, 1453, announced that Hagia Sophia would serve as a mosque under Ottoman rule. Although it was used as a mosque after the declaration of the republic in 1923, Hagia Sophia was closed in 1931.
Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935 upon the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the decision of the Council of Ministers. President and AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was converted from the museum to the mosque again with the decision of the Council of State, and the first prayer was performed 86 years later today.