It has been five years since the presidential decree was issued to reopen Hagia Sophia as a mosque, reversing its status as a museum determined in a 1934 Cabinet decision.
Following the conquest of Istanbul by the seventh Ottoman sultan, Mehmed II, on May 29, 1453, Hagia Sophia, which had served as a church for 916 years, was converted into a mosque.
After the conquest, Sultan Mehmed earned the title “Fatih” (the Conqueror) and performed the first Friday prayer at Hagia Sophia on June 1, 1453.
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye, Hagia Sophia’s status changed again. On Nov. 24, 1934, the Council of Ministers issued Decree No. 7/1589, converting Hagia Sophia into a museum.
In 2016, the Association for the Service of Historical Foundations and the Environment filed a lawsuit with the Council of State seeking to annul the 1934 Cabinet decision.
The case was resolved on July 10, 2020, when the 10th Chamber of the Council of State unanimously annulled the 1934 Cabinet decision determining Hagia Sophia’s museum status.
The Council of State’s ruling was met with joy by citizens gathered in Hagia Sophia Square.
On the same day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the Presidential Decree to reopen Hagia Sophia for worship.
The Presidential Decree also transferred Hagia Sophia to the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and approved its resumption as a mosque. This decision was published in a special issue of the Official Gazette released on the same day.
Turkish Grand National Assembly Deputy Speaker Celal Adan read the Presidential Decree regarding Hagia Sophia’s transfer to the Directorate of Religious Affairs and reopening for worship during the General Assembly session. The decision was met with prolonged standing applause from the members of Parliament.
Following the publication of the decree, the mosque, referred to as “Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi” or “Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii,” was officially reopened for prayer on July 24, 2020, after 86 years. The reopening Friday prayer was attended by President Erdoğan alongside numerous guests and citizens.
