ISTANBUL — The Anatolian Youth Organization, a local nongovernmental organization, announced that they would perform prayers in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, a former church and mosque that is now a museum. The group plans to perform dawn prayers on Saturday morning. Abdullah Basfar, a Saudi imam, will lead the prayers.
Performing religious prayers at the Hagia Sophia, which was converted into a museum in 1935 is prohibited although numerous groups have called for its reopening as a mosque recently. Originally constructed in 537 as a Greek Orthodox Church, it was converted into a mosque after Istanbul's conquest by Ottomans. It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years and reopened as a museum.
Anatolian Youth Organization President Salih Turhan told reporters that seeing Hagia Sophia as a museum "hurt" Muslims. "It is our duty to convert it back to its original state [a mosque] to show Islam's prevalence in this region and carry out the nation's will."
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
