“The cabinet decision in 1934 that ended its use as a mosque and defined it as a museum did not comply with laws.” The decision comes as the result of a 16-year court battle claiming the site was the property of Sultan Mehmet, the Ottoman leader who captured the city in 1453 and turned the already 900-year-old Byzantine church into a mosque.
Immediately after the court ruling, Erdogan signed a decree declaring Hagia Sophia was now open to Muslim worship and the first prayers inside could take place on July 24. Erdogan reiterated his claim that Hagia Sophia was originally constructed as a mosque.
“The decision was taken to hand over the management of the Ayasofya Mosque … to the Religious Affairs Directorate and open it for worship,” the decision signed by Erdogan said, adding he added that “like all our mosques, the doors of Hagia Sophia will be wide open to locals and foreigners, Muslims and non-Muslims.” An article by Seth Franzman in J-Post noted that Erdogan’s speech in Turkish announcing the Hagia Sophia decision on Friday was translated slightly differently to Arabic and English, “apparently as a way to hide part of Ankara’s full views on how it has linked Hagia Sophia to a wider agenda.”
“In Arabic the speech says that turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque is part of the “return of freedom to al-Aqsa,” essentially meaning Israel should be ejected from controlling Jerusalem’s Old City where al-Aqsa is located.” -Full Report
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