Turkiye’s Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul will hold its first tarawih prayer in 88 years, a special evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
A number of events for Ramadan will also be held at the mosque, which was converted into a museum in 1934 and regained its status as a mosque in 2020, when it was opened for worship on July 24 of that year.
Hagia Sophia was built in the year 532 CE. It was turned into a mosque in 1453 after the conquest of Istanbul.
It served as a church for 916 years and 86 years as a museum. But for most of its existence – from 1453 to 1934, or nearly 500 years – it served as a mosque.
In 1985, Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
