Hagia Sophia ready for first Muslim prayer after years
Published 24 Jul,2020 via Hürriyet Daily News - Hagia Sophia is ready to reopen today for Islamic worship for the first time in 86 years with an inaugural Friday prayer.
Carpets have been rolled out inside the former museum, with hours remaining for the iconic site to hold the first Friday prayer in Turkey’s modern history.
Shades of duck-head green color were used in the carpet, which included 17th century Ottoman motifs.
The floor of the historical structure is covered with carpet, as it is intended not to harm the historical texture and architecture of the building.
Paintings, depictions and mosaics will be closed with a system of curtains during prayers and will be reopened after.
The entrance to the areas to be prayed in Hagia Sophia will start from 10:00 a.m., reminding the precautions to be taken by those who will attend the prayer, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a press conference at the iconic marvel.
“We ask our citizens to bring four things with them when coming to Hagia Sophia: Masks, prayer rugs, patience and understanding,” he said.
Yerlikaya stated that five different open-air spaces are reserved for worshipers to prevent overcrowding: Two for women and three for men.
Women and men must pray in separate areas, according to Islam.
As Ali Erbaş, the head of Turkey’s top religious body, will lead the first Friday prayer, two imams and four muezzins have been assigned to serve on other days.
Meanwhile, a wide range of security measures were taken around Hagia Sophia and the main arteries of the historical peninsula of Istanbul for the first Islamic worship.
“We encourage our guests not to bring handbags and backpacks with them so that the transition can be made quickly and easily at the search points,” Yerlikaya noted.
On transportation to the mosque, he said in order to sustain security, some roads and metro lines will be closed before and during prayer times.
“Entrance to the prayer areas will be provided after security searches at 11 different checkpoints,” he added.
The site will be open until the morning for visitors who want to pray.
The architectural treasure, which is among Turkey’s top tourism destinations, will also be open to domestic and foreign tourists free of charge.
Hagia Sophia was used as a church for centuries under the rule of the Byzantine Empire and turned into a mosque following its conquest of Istanbul in 1453.
In 1935, Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum.
On July 10, a Turkish court annulled a 1934 Cabinet decree and this move paved the way for its use again as a mosque.
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