To suggest to the world not only Islam’s superiority but also that the Ottomans were the true heirs of the Romans, Mehmed converted Hagia Sophia to a mosque — but kept its original name.

FacebookLikeShareTweetEmail Türkiye and the wider Muslim world celebrate the fifth anniversary of the reconversion of the ...

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. Credit: AP/Emrah Gurel Visitors to the site expressed approval of the plan.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020. “My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history,” ...

A large scaffold was erected on the east facade of the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which faces the 3rd Ahmed Fountain, and scraping and joint opening processes are ongoing, as reported by En Son Haber.

To suggest to the world not only Islam’s superiority but also that the Ottomans were the true heirs of the Romans, Mehmed converted Hagia Sophia to a mosque — but kept its original name.

Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding leader of the Turkish ...

Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding leader of the Turkish ...