The Hagia Sophia Mosque received more than 6.5 million visitors in the second year of its opening for worship, according to Ahmed Akturkoglu, Deputy Mufti of Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia is located in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, and was used as a church for 916 years, before it was converted into a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) as of 1453, and it is considered one of the most important architectural monuments in the history of the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and in 1934 it was It was converted into a museum and remained in this state for 86 years, to be reopened for worship in 2020.

Hagia Sophia Mosque receives thousands of visitors daily (Anatolia)

In the aforementioned year, the Turkish judiciary issued a ruling to cancel the Cabinet’s decision of 1934 regarding the conversion of Hagia Sophia from a mosque to a museum, after a lawsuit filed by the “Permanent Endowments Association and the Service of Historical Antiquities and the Environment.”

On the same day, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the decree to reopen Hagia Sophia for worship, and published the presidential decree in the Official Gazette, including transferring the responsibilities of managing Hagia Sophia to the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs.

With the opening of the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque for worship on July 24, 2020, the first Friday prayer in 86 years was held, with a large ceremony attended by Erdogan.

Hagia Sophia Mosque received more than 6.5 million visitors in the second year of its opening (Anatolia)

New Muslims

Ahmet Akturkoglu, Deputy Mufti of Istanbul, told Anatolia that the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque after the conquest was one of the most important events in Islamic history. Especially after it reopened for worship in 2020."

Akturkoglu pointed out that interest in the mosque is witnessing a noticeable increase in religious occasions, especially Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

He pointed out that the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque received 120,000 visitors daily during the last Eid al-Adha, and that interest in this cultural and religious landmark is increasing all over the world.

He continued, "Many young people are keen to flock to the mosque from all over Turkey to perform the morning prayer. This makes us very happy. A large number of people who have decided to convert to Islam are keen to announce their Islam and pronounce the two testimonies in this mosque."

Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was opened for worship two years ago, has been used as a church for 916 years (Anatolia)

after the pandemic

Akturkoglu stated that the Corona pandemic appeared shortly after the mosque was reopened for worship, pointing out that the mosque administration during that period was keen to provide a safe atmosphere for visitors by following the rules to limit the spread of the epidemic.

He added, "With the decline in the severity of the epidemic, we continue to receive visitors to the mosque in conjunction with our continued application of safety and sterilization rules and reduce overcrowding."

"We are making great efforts to organize the entry and exit of about 120,000 people per day to the mosque, and we are working to provide a comfortable atmosphere for local and foreign visitors," he added.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his congratulations on the second anniversary of the reopening of the "Hagia Sophia" mosque for worship, saying, "We thank God that we have been able to restore it to its origin." Hagia Sophia for worship.

Erdogan described Hagia Sophia as a symbol of the conquest of Istanbul, the trust and will of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.