The Turkish government's 2020 decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque was widely criticized as a politically motivated move by President Erdogan.

UNESCO criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque as biased and political.

The Greek Orthodox Church and Prime Minister criticized the conversion, calling it offensive to history.

The US, Greece, and Russia criticized Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, citing concerns over its cultural and historical significance.

Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia was seen as a move to strengthen his conservative base and distract from economic issues.

The international community criticized Turkey's reconversion of Hagia Sophia as an internal affair.

Turkey dismissed UNESCO's criticism as biased, with Erdogan calling the decision democratic.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque was praised by Muslims, but criticized by countries seeking to protect Byzantine monuments.

Hagia Sophia's mosaics of Jesus and Mary were covered and entrance fees reintroduced after the reconversion.

A Turkish court ruled the 1934 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a museum was illegal, allowing Erdogan to decree it a mosque.

The Greek Orthodox Church and other Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide condemned the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

As a tour guide in Istanbul, be prepared to address questions about the Hagia Sophia's conversion in a respectful and informative manner.

Tour guides use earphones and separate entrances for worshippers and tourists to minimize disruptions.

The entrance fee for foreign tourists was reintroduced in 2024 to preserve cultural assets and monuments.

Tour guides can promote a positive experience for Hagia Sophia visitors by providing respectful and informative guidance.

The Turkish government's 2020 decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque was widely criticized as a politically motivated move by President Erdogan.

Title:

Content: She returned Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
Turkey has challenged global trusteeship
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 29.10.2022 10: 23
Hagia Sophia Mosque (Getty Images)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the fact that Turkey has returned the Hagia Sophia museum from a museum to a mosque represents a major challenge to the global trusteeship.
Speaking at a ceremony announcing the vision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “Turkey ’ s Century ” in Ankara, Erdogan said his country was challenging global tutelage and thanked citizens for their support for the decision to return Hagia Sophia.
He noted that his party has always sought to eliminate any vestiges of guardianship and promote democracy in the country over the past 20 years.
Turkey has lived through a remarkable period in its history in general and the history of Istanbul, especially when Hagia Sophia was transformed from its status as a museum and restored to its former glory as the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020.
The historic building remained a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul.
It was then used as a mosque between 1453 and 1934, nearly 500 years before becoming a museum for 86 years.
It is one of the most visited historical buildings in Turkey by domestic and international tourists, and Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court overturned a 1934 ministerial decision that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for it to be used again as a mosque after an 86-year hiatus.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

UNESCO criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque as biased and political.

Title:

Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

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The Greek Orthodox Church and Prime Minister criticized the conversion, calling it offensive to history.

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Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The US, Greece, and Russia criticized Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque, citing concerns over its cultural and historical significance.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
Remind me!
The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia was seen as a move to strengthen his conservative base and distract from economic issues.

Title:

Content: Turkey officially opens the Byzantine church and museum "Khora" as a mosque (PHOTOS)
World News
"Kari Mosque" in the Museum and Monastery of "Khora"
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / xhpk
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday officially opened the Kari Mosque in Istanbul ’ s Byzantine Museum and Monastery of Khora, four years after the church dedicated a mosque to Muslims.
On Monday, Erdogan oversaw the official remote opening of the Khora mosque and a number of restored sites from the conference hall of his residence in Ankara.
Erdogan said during the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on Turkish television, "May it be a good start."
One of the first worshipers at the mosque told Anadolu Agency: “I have been waiting for its opening for four years, and I have been honored to pray in such a place. ”
Anadolu quoted another serum as saying: “Thank God for showing us these days, I hope we come here from time to time and do our prayers. ”
The site near the walls of the old city of Istanbul is famous for its fine mosaics and frescoes.
The church dates back to the 4th century, although the edifice took its present form during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Greece has criticized the Turkish government ’ s decision to return it to use as a mosque, accusing Ankara of “personal insult ” to another World Heritage site, saying the decisions to turn Hagia Sophia and Khora back into mosques are steps aimed at strengthening the support base of conservatives and the religious trend of Erdogan ’ s ruling party amid an economic downturn.
The museum was built "Khora" monastery, in 534, the building was converted into "Kari Mosque" at the beginning of the 16th century, it was used as a mosque for more than four centuries and was converted into a museum in 1945 by a Turkish ministerial decision.
In August 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the Kari Museum, known as a “bottomless church ” in Turkish, into mosques.
The conversion of the two churches into mosques was praised by Muslims, but drew criticism from Greece and other countries that urged Turkey to protect important Byzantine monuments, both of which have been listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations.
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What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

The international community criticized Turkey's reconversion of Hagia Sophia as an internal affair.

Turkey dismissed UNESCO's criticism as biased, with Erdogan calling the decision democratic.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque was praised by Muslims, but criticized by countries seeking to protect Byzantine monuments.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Hagia Sophia's mosaics of Jesus and Mary were covered and entrance fees reintroduced after the reconversion.

Title:

Content: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque

Hundreds of worshippers filled the narrow streets of Istanbul's Fatih district on Friday to hear the sounds of Friday prayers ringing out from the newly inaugurated Kariye Mosque.

Once known as the Chora Church, the site spent the last 79 years as a museum. But it is now the latest structure to be converted back into a mosque by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the conversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020. While viewed as a triumph by many Turkish Muslims, the Greek Orthodox Church has decried it as an "ill-advised decision" that "makes a mockery of the Turkish government's commitment to religious tolerance and religious freedom."

Chora's conversion was announced shortly after Hagia Sophia's, but its opening for prayer was delayed by years of restoration work.

The showing for the first Friday prayers at Kariye was relatively quiet compared to Hagia Sophia, which drew hundreds of thousands who filled the streets with prayer rugs for blocks and blocks away from the building. By contrast, the crowd on Friday was relatively average for a mosque in one of Istanbul's more religiously conservative neighborhoods, where Friday worshippers frequently spill out onto the streets.

Both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia are 4th-century Byzantine constructions. They spent nearly a millennium as Christian holy sites before being converted to mosques by the Ottomans after their conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. Despite their conversions, they remained revered by Orthodox Christians. After the founding of a secular Turkish Republic in the early 20th century, the decision was made for both to be neither mosque nor church but simply museums.

"Both Hagia Sophia and Chora embodied Byzantine and Ottoman pasts, and they became symbols of co-existence and multi-faith living practices. Their conversion fundamentally implies a hierarchy, prioritizing the Islamic past over all other layers, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, et al," Dr. Özgür Kaymak, a lecturer and researcher on minority rights at Istanbul's MEF University, told Religion News Service in an email.

Rededicating the sites as mosques is more than just a status change. According to Islamic tradition, artwork of human figures are forbidden in places of prayer, while in Orthodox Churches, icons of Christ, saints and other biblical figures are a defining feature.

In Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Jesus and Mary have been covered with curtains since the conversion. While Erdoğan promised Hagia Sophia would remain fully accessible and free to all visitors, Turkey reneged on that earlier this year, reimposing an entrance fee on tourists and relegating them to the upper level, while the main floor is exclusive to Muslim worshippers.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's caretaking of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Though Chora is significantly smaller than Hagia Sophia, it is home to some of the best-preserved examples of late-Byzantine art, including mosaics, icons and frescoes, and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"For us it's a very important place because it remembers our culture and our traditions here," Father Evangelos Markantonis, an Orthodox priest who was leading a group of theology students to Chora on Friday, told Religion News Service.

"Though we cannot venerate as Orthodox Christians, we have to try to find things we can be united on. Only with dialogue and good deeds can we continue our lives," Markantonis, who is also a professor at the University of Athens, said when asked about the controversy.

Erdoğan had long refused calls from his right to convert churches like Hagia Sophia and Chora, telling supporters in 2018 to fill the nearby Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known in English as the Blue Mosque) before they talked about needing to pray in Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020.

"My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history," Erdoğan said at the time in a speech inaugurating the Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

"This is the most honorable day that Islam has been looking forward to, Greek Constantinople has become Turkish Istanbul," he added, quoting the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come out of the interregnum," Erdoğan said in his concluding remarks.

Chora's opening as the Kariye Mosque comes just weeks after Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its largest electoral defeat in two decades during Turkey's nationwide municipal elections.

"The recent conversion of Chora into a mosque may be due to Erdoğan's many problems, including his geopolitical power politics, his appeal to religio-nationalism to revive his electoral popularity after the March elections or his tactic to divert attention from Turkey's economic downturn," Kaymak said.

Many analysts have attributed the loss to AKP bleeding votes to the more Islamist-leaning New Welfare Party, which has pressured Erdogan over his response to the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed its rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.

"This mosque is one of the symbols of the Conquest. We are proud and happy. There are very beautiful frescoes inside. They were also nicely renovated before they were closed. May it be good for our country and our nation," a bystander, Ahmet Öteyüzoğlu, told Turkish media.

"Thank God for these days. Not everyone has the opportunity in their lifetime," another bystander named Mehmet Çelik told the Turkish news service Anadolu Agency, in reference to having been able to pray at both the rededicated Hagia Sophia and Kariye Mosques.

However, Greece, the U.S. State Department and Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide have all criticized the decision to revert the structure into a mosque.

"I want to publicly express my intense dissatisfaction, interpreting the feelings of all Greek women and men, for the completely unnecessary conversion of a historic Byzantine temple, the Monastery of Chora, into a mosque. It is, I believe, an action that offends the rich history of Istanbul itself as a crossroads of cultures," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said shortly before leaving for Turkey for a planned meeting with Erdogan.

"We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Greek media.

"The Turkish government's appropriation of both as the property of one faith group not only constitutes yet another sign of that government's contempt for Turkey's rich Orthodox Christian heritage but further imperils the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the remaining Christians of that land," the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a statement.

© Religion News Service

A Turkish court ruled the 1934 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a museum was illegal, allowing Erdogan to decree it a mosque.

The Greek Orthodox Church and other Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide condemned the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

As a tour guide in Istanbul, be prepared to address questions about the Hagia Sophia's conversion in a respectful and informative manner.

Title:

Content: New rules come into force for the visit of Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey - Sunrise Gate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 2: 04 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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New rules come into effect for visiting Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey
DBA
Published on: Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM | Last updated on Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM
The project for the Hagia Sophia mosque was closest to the heart of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – but it was also the project that drew international criticism.
In the summer of 2020, Erdogan restored Hagia Sophia to be a mosque after it was originally a church, converted into an Ottoman mosque, converted into a museum.
At the time, Erdogan assured citizens that entry fees would be abolished, adding that the cultural edifice would remain open to everyone – Muslims or non-Muslims alike.
There will be another major change from January 15, with access to the Hagia Sophia restricted and visitors will have to pay fees again.
Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Arsoy hopes this will improve coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Arsoy said recently that tourist visitors are making noise and disrupting calm and prayer.
Until recently, visitors and worshippers were allowed to enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signs keeping a certain distance between them.
However, from now on, worshippers and tourists will be introduced through different entrances.
Although worshippers can use the same entrances as before, tourists will be guided through an upstairs hallway.
According to Arsoy, tour guides will not be allowed to accompany visitors through the corridors, and earphones will be used instead.
“Our priority there is prayer, ” Arsoy said, noting that the building is a world cultural heritage site and should therefore remain open to all visitors around the world.
Zuleiha Duman, 29, who returned to Istanbul from Germany to see Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque, said she found it taking away.
Welcoming the new rules, she said: “As long as the entrance fee isn ’ t too high, I think it ’ s acceptable. ”
“Why shouldn ’ t Turkey and the government take advantage of this place?
These funds can be channeled to preserve more religious places. ”
Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul ’ s history since 1985.
Built by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest place of worship in Christianity for nearly a thousand years, it was the main church during the Byzantine Empire, and from the seventh century, the emperor was crowned inside.
After the Ottomans entered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
On the orders of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the building was converted into a museum in 1934 until the summer of 2020.
Hagia Sophia is as symbolically important to Orthodox Christians around the world as St. Peter ’ s Basilica is to Catholics.
After the building was converted into a mosque, criticism poured in from the Greek Orthodox Church.
The UNESCO Foundation also criticized the decision without consultation.
For Erdogan, turning the place into a mosque was his “childhood dream, ” as he himself said, and pleasing to religious voters.
A few external changes were made at the time, for example, a green carpet was placed above the marble floor.
It seems clear that all these things did not detract from the popularity of this teacher.
According to official statistics, some 13.6 million people visited the Hagia Sophia landmark in 2022, not all of them from Europe.
The number of visitors from Indonesia in particular has risen, Hagia Sophia Imam Binyamin Topoglu told Turkey ’ s Anadolu news agency in 2023.
The amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
Tourism Minister Ersoy says the proceeds will be spent on cultural assets, for excavation or preservation of monuments such as the Hagia Sophia.
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Tour guides use earphones and separate entrances for worshippers and tourists to minimize disruptions.

The entrance fee for foreign tourists was reintroduced in 2024 to preserve cultural assets and monuments.

Tour guides can promote a positive experience for Hagia Sophia visitors by providing respectful and informative guidance.

Title:

Content: Events
Entrance to Hagia Sophia will again be paid, but not for everyone
Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that visiting the Ayia Sophia mosque for foreign citizens from January 15 will be paid.
Ersoy, who held a press conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), said that according to the first 9 months of tourism, the total number of visitors, which last year amounted to 40.2 million people, increased to 45.2 million at the end of September.
Noting that Ayia Sophia and Sultanahmet Square are included in the UNESCO permanent heritage list, Ersoy said that they listened to the advice and opinions of UNESCO and implemented the decisions on the restoration of the Ayia Sophia Mosque.
Minister Ersoy stressed that from January 15, 2024, they will move to the management plan of the visitors of Agia Sofya on the recommendation of UNESCO, and said:
“In this management plan, the quality of visits and safety will be improved.
Density will be regulated by distributing it along different routes.
Again, our precious mosque will be incorporated into a very ideal ecosystem focused on protecting and promoting the "Common Heritage of Humanity".
According to Ersoy, the entrance for worshippers will remain the same, but the tourist entrance will change, so that these two streams will not change. that information about Hagia Sophia will be provided in 16 languages through an application with a QR code and headphones.
Ersoy added: “From now on, visitors will be able to complete the process by receiving detailed information about the entire history and iconography of Hagia Sophia in a quiet environment without disturbing the faithful. ”
Noting that from January 15, 2024, foreign tourists visiting the mosque will be charged a ticket fee, Ersoy said: “Visits by our Turkish citizens for the purpose of worship will be free as before.
This practice also exists in many countries. "
In general, judging by the words of Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia mosque will partially return to the function of a museum.
The most important question that may concern us now is whether the mosque will become accessible to believers from other countries?
Ersoy said that free entrance will remain only for Turkish citizens, but perhaps here he was simply referring to those who come to the mosque for the purpose of prayer, since it is obvious that the absolute majority of those praying are Turks.
In any case, we hope for this, because if passports are checked at the entrance to the mosque, and the descendants of Bosniaks or Albanians are asked to pay money so that they can pray in the mosque that their ancestors conquered in the army of Sultan Fatih Mehmed, any neo-Ottomanism can be put a bold end to.
Author: Jakub Hadžić
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The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque sparked controversy and criticism from countries like Greece, the US, Russia, and UNESCO.

The Turkish court's decision to overturn the 1934 ministerial decision converting Hagia Sophia into a museum marked a major change in Istanbul's history, challenged by President Erdogan.

Hagia Sophia now charges foreign tourists €25 to enter, while Turkish citizens can enter for free for worship.

The entrance fee for foreign tourists is expected to significantly impact Istanbul's tourism industry, leading to higher prices due to the weak lira.

Tour guides must adapt to new rules, including using earphones for guided tours outside the mosque.

The new rules include separate entrances and information in 16 languages to improve coexistence between visitors and worshippers at Hagia Sophia.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has caused damage, including fragments falling from the dome and harm to the Imperial Gate and marble floors.

The Turkish government has begun restoration work on Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia's visitor management policy regulates density and improves the visitor experience.

Local tour guides can provide information about Hagia Sophia in multiple languages using an application with QR code and headphones.

Tour guides can provide separate entrances and routes to regulate density and improve safety and quality of visits.

Tourists are charged a ticket fee, while Turkish citizens can worship for free.

Using earphones for tourist guidance can help maintain a neutral and respectful tone.

Tour guides should be aware of the site's historical significance, including its origins as a Christian cathedral and Ottoman conversion into a mosque.

Tour guides should be sensitive to Hagia Sophia's importance to Orthodox Christians and the international criticism of its conversion.

Local tour guides can address tourist concerns while being respectful by being knowledgeable about the site and using strategies like separate entrances and earphone guidance.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen as a move to distance Turkey from Western allies and promote Islamization.

Erdogan has faced internal pressure and international criticism for converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia remains a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracting over 21 million visitors since its conversion into a mosque.

Tour guides can address tourist concerns by emphasizing the building's cultural and religious significance and providing accurate information about its history.

A new management plan has been implemented to improve coexistence and the visitor experience.

The plan includes restricting access and introducing a ticketing system.

Hagia Sophia attracted 21 million visitors in 2022 and is expected to remain a popular tourist destination.

The visitor management plan aims to preserve the site's historical significance and prevent crowd damage.

The plan is based on UNESCO recommendations guiding entrance fees and visitor flow.

Turkey's tourism industry accounts for 10% of its GDP.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted tourism recovery, as Russians are top visitors to Istanbul and Turkish beaches.

Turkey's tourism reached 45.2 million visitors, with foreigners now required to pay to visit Hagia Sophia mosque.

Turkish worshippers will enter for free through a separate entrance from tourists.

The site will offer information in 16 languages via an app and regain some museum function.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked international controversy, with criticism from UNESCO, Greece, the US, and others.

Erdogan's decision to convert Hagia Sophia was criticized as a political move to gain support and maintain power amidst economic issues.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been praised by Muslims as a restoration of its historical and cultural significance.

The conversion has been criticized for potentially restricting access and limiting other faiths' influence through a reimposed entrance fee.

The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

The UNESCO Foundation criticized the conversion decision, citing a lack of consultation and potential harm to the site's cultural heritage.

The Greek Orthodox Church has condemned Hagia Sophia's conversion, citing its historical significance.

The Turkish Tourism Minister aims to balance the site's religious and cultural significance for worshippers and tourists.

Tourist entry fees were abolished and then reinstated in 2024, amid ongoing controversy over the site.

Greece has criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia as a personal insult.

The conversion of the Chora Church into a mosque undermines its cultural and historical significance.

Converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen as a move to strengthen conservative support for Erdogan.

Erdogan's supporters praise the conversion of Hagia Sophia as a restoration of its historical and cultural significance.

The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church condemned the terrorist attack on Syria's Hagia Sophia church, citing its cultural and historical significance.

The attack on Hagia Sophia is seen as a message against pluralism, highlighting controversy over its status.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked criticism from Greece, which views it as an insult to UNESCO's cultural heritage.

The Karya Mosque conversion has been criticized for undermining its cultural and historical significance.

Converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen by some as a way to lift a curse, highlighting the controversy's religious undertones.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for potentially restricting access and limiting other faiths' influence.

The Anatolian Youth Association has demanded that Hagia Sophia be converted into a mosque.

The American Council has called for Christian worship to be allowed in Hagia Sophia due to its historical significance as a Byzantine cathedral.

The Turkish president has been accused of prioritizing his domestic base over overseas partners.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

The decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been praised by Muslims as a restoration of its historical significance.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for undermining Turkey's secular status and moving towards authoritarianism and Islamism.

The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

The UNESCO Foundation criticized the conversion decision, citing a lack of consultation and potential harm to the site's cultural heritage.

The Greek Orthodox Church has condemned Hagia Sophia's conversion, citing its historical and cultural significance.

The Turkish Tourism Minister aims to balance the site's religious and cultural significance for worshippers and tourists.

Tourist entry fees were abolished and then reinstated in 2024, amid ongoing controversy over the site.

Hagia Sophia's reconversion

The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque sparked controversy and criticism from countries like Greece, the US, Russia, and UNESCO.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
Remind me!
The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Turkish court's decision to overturn the 1934 ministerial decision converting Hagia Sophia into a museum marked a major change in Istanbul's history, challenged by President Erdogan.

Title:

Content: She returned Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
Turkey has challenged global trusteeship
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 29.10.2022 10: 23
Hagia Sophia Mosque (Getty Images)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the fact that Turkey has returned the Hagia Sophia museum from a museum to a mosque represents a major challenge to the global trusteeship.
Speaking at a ceremony announcing the vision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) “Turkey ’ s Century ” in Ankara, Erdogan said his country was challenging global tutelage and thanked citizens for their support for the decision to return Hagia Sophia.
He noted that his party has always sought to eliminate any vestiges of guardianship and promote democracy in the country over the past 20 years.
Turkey has lived through a remarkable period in its history in general and the history of Istanbul, especially when Hagia Sophia was transformed from its status as a museum and restored to its former glory as the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020.
The historic building remained a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul.
It was then used as a mosque between 1453 and 1934, nearly 500 years before becoming a museum for 86 years.
It is one of the most visited historical buildings in Turkey by domestic and international tourists, and Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court overturned a 1934 ministerial decision that turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for it to be used again as a mosque after an 86-year hiatus.

What legal action enabled the 2020 reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque?

1934 cabinet decree annulled by President Erdogan

Hagia Sophia now charges foreign tourists €25 to enter, while Turkish citizens can enter for free for worship.

Title:

Content: Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists
Entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul from January 15 will be paid for foreign tourists.
This is reported by RIA Novosti.
According to the agency, such a measure will be taken three and a half years after the transformation of the museum into a religious object.
It is noted that a ticket to Hagia Sophia will cost €25.
For Turkish citizens, the entrance will be free.
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
He later stated that changing the status of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul is a step towards greater Turkey.
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The entrance fee for foreign tourists is expected to significantly impact Istanbul's tourism industry, leading to higher prices due to the weak lira.

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Content: Gazeta.ru on desktop
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In ATOR called an insignificant amount of €25 for the entrance to the mosque of Hagia Sophia
In ATOR warned tourists about the rise in price of tickets to the palace-museums of Istanbul
A rise in prices for tourist services in Istanbul is inevitable due to the weak position of the local currency - the lira.
This was stated in an interview with Gazeta.Ru Vice President of ATOR Arthur Muradyan, commenting on the decision of the authorities to make a visit to the Hagia Sophia mosque for foreigners paid.
From January 15, the entrance will cost €25.
“From the point of view of tourists, the amount of 25 euros, and for a family of two or four people it is 50-100 euros, can not be called some significant expenditure.
On the other hand, of course, some tourists will think about spending money on visiting this attraction.
Of course, it is a landmark for Istanbul, and I think that the Turkish authorities have approached carefully to determine the amount of fees for visiting this architectural monument, ” Muradian said.
In his opinion, following the Hagia Sophia mosque, the authorities can raise prices for entrance tickets to other museums.
“The rise in prices for tourist services is inevitable to some extent due to the not very good fate of the lira, which we have seen in the last few years.
And, of course, tourists should be ready to increase the cost of services related to the use of the tourism infrastructure of Istanbul, ” said ATOR Vice President.
On January 12, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey reported that the entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul for foreign citizens from January 15, 2024 will cost €25.
The ministry explained that when setting the fee for visiting the mosque, they were guided by the recommendations of UNESCO.
Hagia Sophia, which is now called the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia, was erected in the 6th century under the emperor Justinian and for more than a thousand years remained the largest Christian temple in the world.
In 1453, after the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, Saint Sophia was converted into a mosque.
In 1934, the temple was given the status of a museum, it retained both Christian and Muslim decoration.
In July 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the resumption of Muslim worship in Hagia Sophia.
Entrance to the mosque was free for all visitors, including tourists.
Earlier it became known about the destruction of a mosque in Gaza after Israeli shelling.
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Tour guides must adapt to new rules, including using earphones for guided tours outside the mosque.

Title:

Content: New rules come into force for the visit of Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey - Sunrise Gate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 2: 04 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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New rules come into effect for visiting Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey
DBA
Published on: Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM | Last updated on Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM
The project for the Hagia Sophia mosque was closest to the heart of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – but it was also the project that drew international criticism.
In the summer of 2020, Erdogan restored Hagia Sophia to be a mosque after it was originally a church, converted into an Ottoman mosque, converted into a museum.
At the time, Erdogan assured citizens that entry fees would be abolished, adding that the cultural edifice would remain open to everyone – Muslims or non-Muslims alike.
There will be another major change from January 15, with access to the Hagia Sophia restricted and visitors will have to pay fees again.
Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Arsoy hopes this will improve coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Arsoy said recently that tourist visitors are making noise and disrupting calm and prayer.
Until recently, visitors and worshippers were allowed to enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signs keeping a certain distance between them.
However, from now on, worshippers and tourists will be introduced through different entrances.
Although worshippers can use the same entrances as before, tourists will be guided through an upstairs hallway.
According to Arsoy, tour guides will not be allowed to accompany visitors through the corridors, and earphones will be used instead.
“Our priority there is prayer, ” Arsoy said, noting that the building is a world cultural heritage site and should therefore remain open to all visitors around the world.
Zuleiha Duman, 29, who returned to Istanbul from Germany to see Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque, said she found it taking away.
Welcoming the new rules, she said: “As long as the entrance fee isn ’ t too high, I think it ’ s acceptable. ”
“Why shouldn ’ t Turkey and the government take advantage of this place?
These funds can be channeled to preserve more religious places. ”
Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul ’ s history since 1985.
Built by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest place of worship in Christianity for nearly a thousand years, it was the main church during the Byzantine Empire, and from the seventh century, the emperor was crowned inside.
After the Ottomans entered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
On the orders of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the building was converted into a museum in 1934 until the summer of 2020.
Hagia Sophia is as symbolically important to Orthodox Christians around the world as St. Peter ’ s Basilica is to Catholics.
After the building was converted into a mosque, criticism poured in from the Greek Orthodox Church.
The UNESCO Foundation also criticized the decision without consultation.
For Erdogan, turning the place into a mosque was his “childhood dream, ” as he himself said, and pleasing to religious voters.
A few external changes were made at the time, for example, a green carpet was placed above the marble floor.
It seems clear that all these things did not detract from the popularity of this teacher.
According to official statistics, some 13.6 million people visited the Hagia Sophia landmark in 2022, not all of them from Europe.
The number of visitors from Indonesia in particular has risen, Hagia Sophia Imam Binyamin Topoglu told Turkey ’ s Anadolu news agency in 2023.
The amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
Tourism Minister Ersoy says the proceeds will be spent on cultural assets, for excavation or preservation of monuments such as the Hagia Sophia.
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The new rules include separate entrances and information in 16 languages to improve coexistence between visitors and worshippers at Hagia Sophia.

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Content: Events
Entrance to Hagia Sophia will again be paid, but not for everyone
Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that visiting the Ayia Sophia mosque for foreign citizens from January 15 will be paid.
Ersoy, who held a press conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), said that according to the first 9 months of tourism, the total number of visitors, which last year amounted to 40.2 million people, increased to 45.2 million at the end of September.
Noting that Ayia Sophia and Sultanahmet Square are included in the UNESCO permanent heritage list, Ersoy said that they listened to the advice and opinions of UNESCO and implemented the decisions on the restoration of the Ayia Sophia Mosque.
Minister Ersoy stressed that from January 15, 2024, they will move to the management plan of the visitors of Agia Sofya on the recommendation of UNESCO, and said:
“In this management plan, the quality of visits and safety will be improved.
Density will be regulated by distributing it along different routes.
Again, our precious mosque will be incorporated into a very ideal ecosystem focused on protecting and promoting the "Common Heritage of Humanity".
According to Ersoy, the entrance for worshippers will remain the same, but the tourist entrance will change, so that these two streams will not change. that information about Hagia Sophia will be provided in 16 languages through an application with a QR code and headphones.
Ersoy added: “From now on, visitors will be able to complete the process by receiving detailed information about the entire history and iconography of Hagia Sophia in a quiet environment without disturbing the faithful. ”
Noting that from January 15, 2024, foreign tourists visiting the mosque will be charged a ticket fee, Ersoy said: “Visits by our Turkish citizens for the purpose of worship will be free as before.
This practice also exists in many countries. "
In general, judging by the words of Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia mosque will partially return to the function of a museum.
The most important question that may concern us now is whether the mosque will become accessible to believers from other countries?
Ersoy said that free entrance will remain only for Turkish citizens, but perhaps here he was simply referring to those who come to the mosque for the purpose of prayer, since it is obvious that the absolute majority of those praying are Turks.
In any case, we hope for this, because if passports are checked at the entrance to the mosque, and the descendants of Bosniaks or Albanians are asked to pay money so that they can pray in the mosque that their ancestors conquered in the army of Sultan Fatih Mehmed, any neo-Ottomanism can be put a bold end to.
Author: Jakub Hadžić
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The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has caused damage, including fragments falling from the dome and harm to the Imperial Gate and marble floors.

Title:

Content: [ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia - Orthodox Christian Laity

Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia

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Source: Greek Reporter

A still from a recently released video shows visitors rushing to take cover as fragments fall from the dome of Hagia Sophia. Credit: Daily Motion/BirGün

A video from 2022 that came to light recently shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.

The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises serious questions over the safety of the former Orthodox Christian cathedral, now a mosque.

BirGün notably quoted officials as saying that “pieces are falling from the roof, due to the humidity created by the crowd, but no precautions are being taken”.

The president of the Turkish Art History Association, Serif Yasar, argued for restoration of the monument as soon as possible, suggesting that “If Hagia Sophia is not restored, it will collapse with the first earthquake.”

The monument was restored as a mosque three years ago after serving as a museum from 1935-2020 and has since received 21 million visitors, according to Turkey’s tourism and culture minister.

Yasar added that when the church was a museum, the scientific council overseeing it urged that groups of no more than 25 people should be allowed to enter the building at any one time.

This enormous lift in visitation has likely brought to the forefront the need for repairs and it was indeed reported in September that the Turkish government had decided to start long-term maintenance of Hagia Sophia.

Turkey to implement visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia

In early October Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli expressed fears that the large number of visitors to Hagia Sophia could lead to a catastrophic structural failure if not addressed immediately.

Writing in the Hürriyet daily, Ortayli said that the monument, which attracts three million pilgrims annually apart from tourists, has undergone significant damage since its conversion into a mosque.

He asserted that even a modest number of 20-30 thousand people annually, including scientists, historians, archaeologists, representatives of the Muslim religion, politicians, and public officials, could be considered excessive for the endurance of the monument.

In June 2022 a number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia were damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site.

In April 2022, The Turkish Association of Art Historians stated that the historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia had been badly damaged.

The group posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate.

Turkey unveiled plans in late October for a visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia, including charging foreign tourists with an entrance fee to be implemented starting Jan. 15.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that extensive restoration work is underway in various sections of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, with plans to progress to other parts upon their completion.

He emphasized that, based on UNESCO’s recommendations, a visitor management plan would be enforced to enhance the quality and safety of visits while preserving the historical significance of the site.

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Officials argue for repairs to Hagia Sophia after footage shows fragments falling from the dome – Neos Kosmos

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The Turkish government has begun restoration work on Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia's visitor management policy regulates density and improves the visitor experience.

Local tour guides can provide information about Hagia Sophia in multiple languages using an application with QR code and headphones.

Tour guides can provide separate entrances and routes to regulate density and improve safety and quality of visits.

Tourists are charged a ticket fee, while Turkish citizens can worship for free.

Using earphones for tourist guidance can help maintain a neutral and respectful tone.

Tour guides should be aware of the site's historical significance, including its origins as a Christian cathedral and Ottoman conversion into a mosque.

Title:

Content: Foreign tourists will pay for entrance to Hagia Sophia
Society
Photo: [© RIA Novosti / Pavel Bednyakov]
From January 15, the entrance to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul will be paid for foreign tourists, Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said.
For Turkish citizens visiting the mosque for worship, admission will remain free.
The first church on the site of the current temple was built under Emperor Constantine.
In the sixth century, it burned down, and the emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a new temple, which remained the largest Christian cathedral until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.
After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the Christian shrine was turned into a mosque.
In 1932, Hagia Sophia became a museum, and the entrance to it was paid, until recently it was 72 liras (about 500 rubles).
In 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned the temple to the status of a mosque, and it could be visited for free.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque,

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Served as the central church of Byzantine Christianity,

Tour guides should be sensitive to Hagia Sophia's importance to Orthodox Christians and the international criticism of its conversion.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What did the CALHSC president urge regarding decisions on Hagia Sophia?

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Local tour guides can address tourist concerns while being respectful by being knowledgeable about the site and using strategies like separate entrances and earphone guidance.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen as a move to distance Turkey from Western allies and promote Islamization.

Title:

Content: On the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia (CALHSC) called for the Hagia Sophia Museum to return to its original significance, that is, it should once again hear Christian prayers and Christian services.
Such a statement, reports the Austrian Catholic news agency KATHPRESS, was made by the president of CALHSC, an American politician of Greek origin Chris Spirou.
According to the agency, he has already appealed to the Turkish government with a proposal to start negotiations on this issue.
As a first step, it is proposed to allow regular liturgical services while maintaining the status of Hagia Sophia as a museum.
All Christians still perceive the cathedral as a shrine, Spira argues, so if the Turkish authorities raise the issue of returning it to the status of a cult place of worship, Ankara should hear the voices of Christians, not just Muslims.
In the event that the Turkish leadership does not go to negotiations, the “American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia ” is going to file a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
This is not the first time Spirou has taken such an initiative.
His organization, registered in 2005, but not particularly famous, has already announced its intention to celebrate the liturgy in the cathedral museum.
The Turkish government then called the words of the American politician a provocation, and he himself was denied entry to the country.
But a lot of things are changing in the Middle East, Europe and the United States today.
Ankara is no longer the “best ally ” it used to be, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is moving further and further away from the familiar image of the head of state for Western colleagues, with whom you can deal.
Washington even under the previous administration with a squeak, but went on to recognize the importance of protecting Christian minorities in the Middle East, and the current Trump administration puts this at the forefront.
Cracks went on the sarcophagus, which until now protected the secular museum of Hagia Sophia from degeneration into a religious object.
And not at all in the church, in the mosque, which Hagia Sophia became after the conquest by the Ottomans of the capital of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire in May 1453.
The intensification of this process is associated today with the rebirth of Erdogan himself, although it is difficult to be completely sure that there is no political conjuncture here, which, as you know, is changeable.
Alexxx1979
View of St. Sophia Cathedral
Recall that in early April this year, a number of Turkish newspapers reported that the President was going on Friday, April 14, together with the leadership of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and religious leaders of Istanbul to visit the Hagia Sophia Museum to pray in it as Muslims.
The timing of Muslim prayer in the former church was not accidental.
On April 14 this year was Holy Friday, which is dedicated to the memory of the condemnation to death, the suffering of the cross and the death of Jesus Christ, as well as the removal of His body from the cross and burial.
Considering also that Easter is now the Orthodox and Catholics coincided, the message was sent powerful and significant.
All this seemed to be a continuation of playing the religious card on the eve of the referendum on April 16, which decided whether Turkey should be a parliamentary or presidential republic.
On April 18, it became clear that Erdogan had won.
But I lost at the same time.
In September 2015, during the parliamentary elections, the ruling party received 51% of the vote, and the nationalist Nationalist Action Party received about 20%.
When the AKP merged with the nationalists in the course of lobbying for constitutional amendments, it expected that the addition of 50% and 20% would give 70% or more in the referendum.
Only 51% of Turks supported the union of the two parties.
In this regard, many Turkish experts, analyzing the current situation, pointed out that the Justice and Development Party, having entered into an alliance with the Nationalist Action Party, made a strategic mistake, creating not only the impression of a synthesis of “soft Islamism ” with nationalists, but also began to cultivate a hybrid ideology of neo-Ottomanism, which was not supported by almost half of the citizens of Turkey..
However, there is another thing – the conservative and religious inner Anatolia, whose votes went to Erdogan, began to realize that from now on she has the right to present her demands to him.
This directly affects Saint Sophia.
An observer for the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News points out in this regard that on the eve of the 564 anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, the space around the Hagia Sophia Museum is again filled, but not by tourists, but by members of the Anatolian Youth Association (AGD), whose motto is the words of the late Islamist politician, former Prime Minister of Turkey Necmettin Erbakan: “Life is faith and jihad ”.
These passionately believing people are actively opposed to everything that testifies to the presence of the non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
And not just Santa Claus for the New Year.
For the past three years, they have focused on making Hagia Sophia “free from shackles ” and converted into a mosque.
Erdogan is slow.
However, the impatient members of the AGD are even more demanding for action this year.
After the referendum, Turkish politics entered a difficult phase of implementing the new constitution, and after May 29, the question arises whether these loud signals from Anatolia will now be ignored.
The Turkish president himself, during a speech in the ancient capital during the celebration of the conquest of Constantinople, according to the government news agency Anadolu, emphasized that “Istanbul, which since its foundation has been the capital of different states and cultures, has become a center of peaceful coexistence and tolerance during the just rule of Sultan Mehmed Fatih [also known as Mehmed the Conqueror]. ”
This part of Erdogan ’ s rhetoric looks tolerant.
But what will follow?
If suddenly the Turkish president decided to allow the Hagia Sophia Museum to serve the liturgy, then this, at least, made us think about the prospects of a possible return of Turkey to the path of improving relations with the Christian world, in particular with the European Union, which Erdogan has repeatedly sarcastic called “the Christian club ”.
However, this will require from the president not only personal courage, but also reliance on new political and social forces, the search for new allies in the country and abroad.
The problem is that even in Turkey itself, an opinion is beginning to take shape that Erdogan is becoming a hostage of internal Anatolia.
This means that the Hagia Sophia Museum, under pressure from this part of the country and society, would rather become a mosque than a church.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Erdogan has faced internal pressure and international criticism for converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia remains a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracting over 21 million visitors since its conversion into a mosque.

Tour guides can address tourist concerns by emphasizing the building's cultural and religious significance and providing accurate information about its history.

A new management plan has been implemented to improve coexistence and the visitor experience.

The plan includes restricting access and introducing a ticketing system.

Hagia Sophia attracted 21 million visitors in 2022 and is expected to remain a popular tourist destination.

What was the significance of Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum in 1934?

made Hagia Sophia a major tourist attraction.

The visitor management plan aims to preserve the site's historical significance and prevent crowd damage.

The plan is based on UNESCO recommendations guiding entrance fees and visitor flow.

Turkey's tourism industry accounts for 10% of its GDP.

Title:

Content: ECONOMY
Published: 06 Mar 2022 10: 23 GMT
Updated Date: 06 Mar 2022 10: 30 GMT
Russian attack on Ukraine disrupts tourism recovery in Turkey
Like every Sunday, Nuri Sani greets his old friends around the generous Turkish breakfast table, but the rest of the tables around him are empty. His restaurant near the Blue Mosque
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Source: AFP
Like every Sunday, Nuri Sani greets his old friends around the generous Turkish breakfast table, but the rest of the tables around him are empty, and his restaurant near the famous Blue Mosque is empty.
“The restaurant should have been full at such a time, and the situation is worse in Antalya (a seaside resort in southern Turkey) as my friends say. ”
Within days, the Ukrainians disappeared and the Russians began canceling their reservations.
Turkey ’ s tourism sector, which accounted for 10% of GDP before the pandemic and was just beginning to recover with high expectations for 2022, has been wracked by the winds of war.
In front of the Hagia Sophia mosque, groups of Russian tourists are rushing behind their guide, refusing to be interviewed.
But for Ukrainians, there are only tourists left stranded, including a young couple who came from the Ukrainian capital Kiev as tourists and turned into refugees.
They are seeking to leave the country for a third destination, possibly the United States, they said with tears in their eyes.
Visitors from Russia and Ukraine alone make up more than a quarter of the tourists who arrived in the country in 2021, according to the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
They have made Istanbul and the Turkish beaches on the Mediterranean or on the Aegean Sea their favorite destination.
Russian tourists are at the top (4.5 million), ahead of Germans.
In third place are Ukrainians (2 million).
“Russia and Ukraine are very important to our tourism sector, and the war that broke out between them makes us all nervous here for humanitarian and commercial reasons, we were expecting seven million Russians and 2.5 million Ukrainians this year, but we will definitely have to review these figures, ” said Hamid Kok, an official with the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB).
But the requests stopped. ”
Unpaid vouchers
Hamid Cook stressed that "if things continue like this we will have a serious problem," adding: "We try to be as calm as possible."
But in his small travel agency located near the Hagia Sophia mosque, Ismail appears shocked.
Nervously pulling out a list of unpaid bookings, he said: “Agencies working with Russia are like mine suffering. ”
He added that he feared that by paying hotel guarantees, he had already lost more than 11,000 euros.
"If other groups cancel their bookings, I will lose between 60,000 and 70,000 euros in total."
Ismail explained that “a group was supposed to arrive within two months but we did not receive the money because of the suspension of the bank transfer system (SWIFT), so it was canceled.
“We paid for the hotels. ”
Russia is subject to European and US sanctions that prevent it from accessing international and European financial transactions, leaving only NATO member Turkey, which has not joined international sanctions, on flights with Moscow.
Located on the edge of the Middle East, Turkey has previously suffered the consequences of wars in Syria and Iraq, which lie on its southeastern border.
Hasan Düzin, who was sitting with his friends in an empty carpet shop near the Ottoman Topkapi Palace, said: “As soon as the war broke out in Iraq and then in Syria until European and American tourists stopped coming, we lost them.
Düzin is convinced that “the same thing will happen, they will look at the map and see the Black Sea and think we are so close to war, so why do they risk coming, ” while a young couple who asked not to be identified does not object to what Düzin says.
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The war between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted tourism recovery, as Russians are top visitors to Istanbul and Turkish beaches.

Turkey's tourism reached 45.2 million visitors, with foreigners now required to pay to visit Hagia Sophia mosque.

Turkish worshippers will enter for free through a separate entrance from tourists.

The site will offer information in 16 languages via an app and regain some museum function.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked international controversy, with criticism from UNESCO, Greece, the US, and others.

Erdogan's decision to convert Hagia Sophia was criticized as a political move to gain support and maintain power amidst economic issues.

Title:

Content: Roundup of news from December 30, 2021
Erdogan the Conqueror
The Turkish president compared the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Constantinople.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to try on the kaftan of Sultan Mehmed II, whose troops captured Constantinople in 1453.
In this regard, he, summing up the year, compared the transformation of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Tsargrad, reports the UOJ with reference to the publication “Vima Ortodoksiya ”.
According to the head of Turkey, the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is “as important ” for the Turks as the fall of the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
However, at the same time, many pay attention to the fact that the Turkish lira in the outgoing year fell strongly against the dollar, and this seriously hit the Turkish economy.
Responding to the criticism, Erdogan said he would “lead his people to what they deserve ” and stressed that he would“ apply the laws of Islam. ”
Thus, the Turkish authorities seek to distract their citizens from economic problems by proclaiming the Islamization of Turkey to the detriment of its secular status.
The economy of Turkey is not in the best condition, but Erdogan was again able to win the Hagia Sophia.
This is what officials in Ankara are thinking.
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What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been praised by Muslims as a restoration of its historical and cultural significance.

Title:

Content: Turkey officially opens the Byzantine church and museum "Khora" as a mosque (PHOTOS)
World News
"Kari Mosque" in the Museum and Monastery of "Khora"
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday officially opened the Kari Mosque in Istanbul ’ s Byzantine Museum and Monastery of Khora, four years after the church dedicated a mosque to Muslims.
On Monday, Erdogan oversaw the official remote opening of the Khora mosque and a number of restored sites from the conference hall of his residence in Ankara.
Erdogan said during the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on Turkish television, "May it be a good start."
One of the first worshipers at the mosque told Anadolu Agency: “I have been waiting for its opening for four years, and I have been honored to pray in such a place. ”
Anadolu quoted another serum as saying: “Thank God for showing us these days, I hope we come here from time to time and do our prayers. ”
The site near the walls of the old city of Istanbul is famous for its fine mosaics and frescoes.
The church dates back to the 4th century, although the edifice took its present form during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Greece has criticized the Turkish government ’ s decision to return it to use as a mosque, accusing Ankara of “personal insult ” to another World Heritage site, saying the decisions to turn Hagia Sophia and Khora back into mosques are steps aimed at strengthening the support base of conservatives and the religious trend of Erdogan ’ s ruling party amid an economic downturn.
The museum was built "Khora" monastery, in 534, the building was converted into "Kari Mosque" at the beginning of the 16th century, it was used as a mosque for more than four centuries and was converted into a museum in 1945 by a Turkish ministerial decision.
In August 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the Kari Museum, known as a “bottomless church ” in Turkish, into mosques.
The conversion of the two churches into mosques was praised by Muslims, but drew criticism from Greece and other countries that urged Turkey to protect important Byzantine monuments, both of which have been listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The conversion has been criticized for potentially restricting access and limiting other faiths' influence through a reimposed entrance fee.

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Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

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The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

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The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

The UNESCO Foundation criticized the conversion decision, citing a lack of consultation and potential harm to the site's cultural heritage.

What was UNESCO's main complaint about the reconversion?

The Greek Orthodox Church has condemned Hagia Sophia's conversion, citing its historical significance.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Turkish Tourism Minister aims to balance the site's religious and cultural significance for worshippers and tourists.

Tourist entry fees were abolished and then reinstated in 2024, amid ongoing controversy over the site.

Greece has criticized the reconversion of Hagia Sophia as a personal insult.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

The conversion of the Chora Church into a mosque undermines its cultural and historical significance.

Converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen as a move to strengthen conservative support for Erdogan.

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Erdogan's supporters praise the conversion of Hagia Sophia as a restoration of its historical and cultural significance.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church condemned the terrorist attack on Syria's Hagia Sophia church, citing its cultural and historical significance.

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Archbishop Atallah Hanna condemns the terrorist act that targeted Syrian Suqaylibiya during the inauguration of its new church Agia Sophia
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2022
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Jerusalem, Hama – Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sebastia of the Greek Orthodox Church, held a telephone conversation this morning with Archbishop Nicolas Baalbaki, pastor of the Diocese of Hama and its affiliates to the Greek Orthodox in Syria, in which he expressed his condemnation and condemnation of the criminal terrorist operation that took place yesterday in the city of Suqaylibia. The new Hagia Sophia Church.
The Archbishop expressed his condolences to the martyrs and wishes of healing for the wounded, considering that these rockets that fell on the site of the celebration are messages from dark parties that do not believe in pluralism, love and human brotherhood, and these are conspirators against Syria, Palestine and all the sons of our Arab nation because they serve well-known agendas aimed at stirring sedition and dividing the division and fragmentation.
The diabolical shells that collapsed near the new Church of Scailibia hurt and saddened us all because there are people who think in this way and deal in this barbaric, uncivilized and inhumane way.
The rockets of hatred, racism and hatred will not affect us and our ancient Christian presence and will only increase our pride, patriotism and attachment to our history, heritage, faith and the heritage of our existence.
All the greetings from Jerusalem to the people of Suqaylabiyah and all the greetings to the heroes who defend their country valiantly.
The one who sent his missiles and targeted the church of Hagia Sophia is the same one who plotted against all of Syria and the same one who plotted against Palestine and Jerusalem and its holy sites.
Our pain is one and our bleeding is one and we must be together in the same trench in defending our homeland, our nation, our sanctities and our historic and ancient presence.
You have our love, loyalty and appreciation.
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What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

The attack on Hagia Sophia is seen as a message against pluralism, highlighting controversy over its status.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked criticism from Greece, which views it as an insult to UNESCO's cultural heritage.

Title:

Content: “Historical Caria. ”
Farid Mosque with Christian inscriptions (Video)
The historic Karya Mosque in Istanbul officially opened its doors to worshipers, a building that was a church built in the Byzantine era, then became a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople, and then a museum in the middle of the last century.
In August 2020, the Turkish president issued a decree to reopen it for prayer, handing over the building in the Fatih area of Istanbul to the Presidency of Religious Affairs and re-opening it for worship.
Al Jazeera Mubasher entered the unique mosque of its kind, and toured the building that turned into a mosque without obliterating its Christian features, as its walls are still decorated with bright inscriptions dating back to the Byzantine era, and now held Islamic prayers, and visited by tourists of various religions.
As you walk through the historic building, the details, though contradictory, are dazzling. On your way to the mihrab, you will find Christian inscriptions adorning the walls on both sides.
One of the worshipers of Al Jazeera Mubasher expressed his gratitude for the reopening of the Karya Mosque: “These historical monuments and buildings are a trust that was put in the interest of the nation when Istanbul was opened, and they have great historical and cultural significance and we are grateful that in our time they have been restored to their original function of worship.
We thank everyone who tried this. ”
He added: “Our ancestors had special prayers for endowments, they were calling for a curse on everyone who uses these endowments other than the purpose for which they were stopped, and the main prayer was to invoke the mercy of God, angels, prophets and believers on those who served these endowments, and I hope that the restoration of Hagia Sophia and the Mosque of Karia, to their original status, will lift this curse from the shoulders of this nation. ”
A place for everyone.
Another worshipper added: “I felt the same way when I opened the Hagia Sophia Mosque, this mosque has been closed from worship for 79 years.
I've been waiting for this day.
I learned that the restoration work had been going on for four or five years, ” he said, stressing his spiritual importance to him.
He described the mosque saying: "It has small rooms, decorated with art drawings, there are remnants of Christian monuments as well, it is a mixture of religions.
From this perspective, I think it can be a common place for everyone, one that can be visited by people of other religions as well. ”
The historical Karya building was a church known as the Church of the Shura and the Church of the Holy Savior, built in 534 AD in the time of the Byzantines, and about 50 years after the Muslims opened Constantinople, Atik Ali Pasha, the minister of Sultan Bayezid II, ordered the building to be converted into a mosque, and in August 1945, the Turkish government decided to allocate the mosque to the Ministry of Education.
“It is very sad for us that Karia in Istanbul is opening a mosque of worship, ” the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it“ poses a challenge to the international community, as it corrupts and insults the UNESCO character of the building ’ s cultural heritage. ”
Source: Al Jazeera Direct

The Karya Mosque conversion has been criticized for undermining its cultural and historical significance.

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

Converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque is seen by some as a way to lift a curse, highlighting the controversy's religious undertones.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for potentially restricting access and limiting other faiths' influence.

The Anatolian Youth Association has demanded that Hagia Sophia be converted into a mosque.

Title:

Content: Hagia Sophia must once again become a place of Christian worship, demands the American Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia.
For a start, according to the organization, it is possible to allow liturgies in Hagia Sophia, preserving its museum status.
Although Christians still perceive this cathedral captured together with Constantinople in 1453 as one of the most important shrines.
In case of refusal, the “Council ” intends to appeal to the ECHR.
However, the situation around Hagia Sophia is much more complicated; the observer of IA REGNUM Stanislav Stremidlovsky analyzes the recent events around the former main temple of Byzantium.
Erhan Elaldı – Anadolu Agency
The 564th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople was celebrated by the Hagia Sophia as a museum.
What is the 565th anniversary?
The head of the “Council ”, American politician Chris Spirou, has already been declared a provocateur by the Turkish authorities.
Today, when Erdogan is increasingly moving away from “his overseas partners ” at least in terms of the desired image of the president, and the new owner of the White House pays much more attention to Middle Eastern Christians than Obama, the situation is clearly changing.
There are already hints that Hagia Sophia from the museum will become a mosque.
At the same time, Erdogan ’ s victory in the last referendum made the president a debtor of domestic Anatolia (at least she believes so), who gave him their votes.
The Anatolian Youth Association strongly opposes any manifestations of non-Muslim faith in Turkish society.
For three years now, they have been trying to make Hagia Sophia a mosque.
And although Erdogan is in no hurry to meet, the Association expects decisive measures from him.
Where the Turkish president is inclined and what Hagia Sophia, cathedral or mosque can become, read here: Internal Anatolia, who supported Erdogan, demands to make Hagia Sophia a mosque
Read other articles by Stanislav Stremidlovsky on the relationship of world religions.

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The American Council has called for Christian worship to be allowed in Hagia Sophia due to its historical significance as a Byzantine cathedral.

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Served as the central church of Byzantine Christianity,

The Turkish president has been accused of prioritizing his domestic base over overseas partners.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

Hagia Sophia's conversion is seen as a symbol of Erdogan's push for Islamic laws and a conservative agenda in Turkey.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been praised by Muslims as a restoration of its historical significance.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has been criticized for undermining Turkey's secular status and moving towards authoritarianism and Islamism.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The international community has criticized the conversion decision, citing its potential to undermine the site's cultural and historical significance.

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

The UNESCO Foundation criticized the conversion decision, citing a lack of consultation and potential harm to the site's cultural heritage.

What was UNESCO's main complaint about the reconversion?

The Greek Orthodox Church has condemned Hagia Sophia's conversion, citing its historical and cultural significance.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

What was the original historical and cultural significance of Hagia Sophia in the Byzantine Empire?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Turkish Tourism Minister aims to balance the site's religious and cultural significance for worshippers and tourists.

Tourist entry fees were abolished and then reinstated in 2024, amid ongoing controversy over the site.

Hagia Sophia's reconversion

Hagia Sophia's reconversion