Hagia

Huge crowds gather for the first Friday prayers at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia

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Huge crowds gather for the first Friday prayers at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia since Turkey’s President Erdogan sparked Christian anger by turning it back into a mosque The prayers, which are first in 86 years at the structure, saw thousands of worshippers travel across country Mr Erdogan is scheduled to attend alongside 500 dignitaries as he … Read more

Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia former cathedral transformed into a mosque by President Erdogan

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Turkey’s President Erdogan has formally converted the former Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque to drum up support for his Islamic-rooted party – sparking fury from Christian groups and the US.  The move came hours after Turkey’s highest administrative court issued a landmark ruling that unanimously annulled the 1934 cabinet decision to renovate the site into … Read more