’86 years of longing’: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia opens for Muslim prayers
ISTANBUL — Thousands of Turks gathered near Hagia Sophia early on Friday for the first prayers there since President Tayyip Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.Crowds formed at checkpoints surrounding the historic heart of Istanbul, where thousands of police…
bubmagJuly 24, 2020