Located at the heart of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia, a massive structure meaning “Holy Wisdom,” was created as a church by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537.
Once a church, later a mosque, Hagia Sophia has always been the precious of its time.
In 1453, the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople under Muhammad Al-Fatih.
The Sultan ordered tuning the church into a mosque and for the first time, the call for prayer echoed from this place.
In 1935, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum.
On the 10 July 2020, the Council of State cancelled the decision of the Council of Ministers to transform the Hagia Sophia into a museum.
After the decision, hundreds gathered outside the mosque to pray and celebrate the decision.