As only a few days left for the opening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque for Muslim worship on July 24, preparations continue before the first Friday prayer.
METAL PLATFORMS WERE INSTALLED
On July 10, a top Turkish court annulled a 1934 Cabinet decree, restoring Hagia Sophia’s status as a mosque from a museum.
Barriers and metal platforms for press members were installed around the Hagia Sophia before opening.
The iconic monument was first built as a church in the Byzantine period. It became a mosque after Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul in 1453. In 1934, the Turkish government turned Hagia Sophia Mosque into a museum.
Its walls are covered with Christian art including a mosaic of Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus in the main hall.