“Upon completion of the preparatory work, which is now proceeding rapidly, we plan to open Hagia Sophia on July 24 at the same time as holding a Friday prayer,” RIA Novosti quoted Erdogan as saying.
He noted that the entrance to the mosque will be free, as in all other mosques in Turkey, due to the fact that Hagia Sophia is losing the status of a museum.
Earlier, the Turkish State Council annulled the decision of 1934 on turning the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a museum.
After that, the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the transfer of the cathedral to the Religious Affairs Authority and permission to conduct Muslim services there.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulé expressed deep regret at the decision of the Turkish authorities.