Hagia Sophia: Former Istanbul museum welcomes Muslim worshippers

Crowds gathered in Istanbul as the historic Hagia Sophia site opened for Friday prayers for the first time since Turkish authorities ruled it could be converted into a mosque.

"Muslims are excited, everyone wants to be at the opening," Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday.

The 1,500-year-old Unesco World Heritage site became a museum in 1934.

But a Turkish court annulled its status, saying any use other than as a mosque was "not possible legally".

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then announced that the world-famous site would be ready for Friday prayers from 24 July, and he was seen joining worshippers at around midday (09:00 GMT).

About 1,000 people were allowed in through security checkpoints, while others laid out prayer mats outside.

The decision to turn it back into a mosque was criticised by religious and political leaders worldwide.

Hagia Sophia was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral and first converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest nine centuries later.

While there was considerable excitement as crowds headed to the UNESCO site, not everyone was happy. The secular opposition party that runs Istanbul has described the move to turn it back into a mosque after 86 years as political rather than religious.

What was it like inside?

In a televised address on Thursday, Governor Yerlikaya urged those attending prayers on Friday to bring "[face] masks, a prayer rug, patience and understanding" to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

He added that healthcare workers would be made available at the site.

Inside, a turquoise carpet had been laid on the floor to prepare for prayers and Christian relics were covered up with white drapes or obscured by lighting.

Scaffolding was erected inside the dome as builders scrambled to convert the interior of the ancient building. By Friday the scaffolding was largely covered by red panelling.

Among the Christian mosaics expected to be obscured during Muslim prayer was the 9th-Century mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus inside the apse.

(Source: BBC)