On Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an inspection visit to the Hagia Sophia Mosque, for the second time in four days, before opening again to worshipers with Friday prayers.
Erdogan was accompanied on the visit by a large number of officials, most notably his deputy Fouad Oktay.
This inspection visit is the second of its kind in 4 days, prior to the reopening of the Hagia Sophia Mosque in front of the worshipers, at Friday prayers tomorrow, 86 years after turning it into a museum.
On July 10, the Turkish Supreme Administrative Court overturned the cabinet decision of November 24, 1934, to transfer the Hagia Sophia from a mosque to a museum.
Two days later, Turkish religious affairs chief Ali Arbash announced, during his visit to Hagia Sophia, that the five daily prayers will be held in the mosque regularly, starting from Friday, July 24.
And "Hagia Sophia" is a unique artistic and architectural edifice, located in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. It was used for a period of 481 years as a mosque, then turned into a museum in 1934, which is one of the most important architectural monuments in the history of the Middle East.
Preventive measures
Istanbul Governor Ali Yerelkaya stated that preparations for the first Friday prayer in Ayia Sofia tomorrow are underway, adding in a press statement that the aforementioned mosque is one of the most magnificent religious sites in the world.
He continued, explaining that in the framework of the measures to prevent the spread of the Corona epidemic, five open spaces were set up to receive the participants, two for women and three for men, where men would be able to pray in the Hagia Sophia square, Sultanahmet Square, and along the Basilica Street, while Muhammad Akif Park and the surrounding area were designated To the Sultan Ahmed tomb for women.
And Yirlika added that the entry of guests and participants to the aforementioned areas in which Friday prayers will be performed, starts from 10 am on Friday, calling on the participants to bring their masks, prayer rugs, and be patient and altruistic.
Turkey says that the Hagia Sophia is still open to visitors and that Christian paintings will be preserved on its walls.
Reuters quoted presidential spokesman Ibrahim Qalain as saying that Erdogan's rule saw the building of Jewish churches and temples serving the Christian and Jewish minorities in Turkey, and churches and temples were also rebuilt.