Hagia Sophia was used as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul, and as a mosque from 1453 onwards, and served as a museum until 1934. As a result of the lawsuit filed by the Association for the Service of Historical Monuments and the Environment, the 10th Chamber of the Council of State annulled the 1934 decision of the Council of Ministers to convert Hagia Sophia from a mosque to a museum, thus paving the way for Hagia Sophia to be reopened for worship.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the decree regarding the opening of Hagia Sophia for worship, handed over the mosque to the Presidency of Religious Affairs and attended the official opening ceremony. On July 24, 2020, Hagia Sophia was opened for worship with the first Friday prayer performed in 86 years.
Visitor Profile of Hagia Sophia Mosque
After reopening for worship, the Hagia Sophia Mosque has attracted great interest from local and foreign tourists. It hosts an average of 50 thousand visitors daily, with an annual visitor count of 6-7 million. In addition to daily prayer times, various events are organized in the mosque, and guidance services are provided to visitors.
It is known that among the visitors to Hagia Sophia there are also those who want to become Muslims and that one or two people perform their conversion ceremony in the mosque daily. A total of 50 personnel in the mosque guide and assist visitors. In addition, religious events and special programs are organized in Hagia Sophia.
