After 86 years in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the historical and world-famous Hagia Sophia Mosque was opened for Friday prayers.
Turkey’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Prof. Dr Ali Erbas, delivered a sermon on Friday holding a sword in his hand, much to the delight of spectators around the world.
Prof. Dr Ali Erbas held the commemorative sword of the conqueror of Istanbul during his Friday sermon.
“This is a tradition in mosques that are the symbol of conquests,” explained Erbaş, who heads Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), adding that the Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of those symbols of conquest.
The Hagia Sophia served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul, and a mosque from 1453 to 1934 – nearly 500 years – and most recently as a museum for 86 years.
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a presidential decree to convert the historic Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul into a mosque.
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