The original architect was executed, Sultan Mehmet III died and his mother was banished – a postponement that allowed the Karaites to come back and camp in the building site. For the past 86 years, it has stood as monument to the competing of empires and religions whose histories had melded, sometimes awkwardly, at the World Heritage site.“It is something we were waiting for, for years,” said Dilek Aydin, a schoolteacher with her 16-year-old daughter. I travel. The building was finally completed sixty years later by Valide Sultan Turhan Hatice, mother of Sultan Mehmet IV.The easiest way is to take the tram to Eminonu, then cross the road, and it is right in front of you.The New Mosque Turkey is open from 9am-6pm every day, but closed at prayer times. Hagia Sophia's re-emergence as a mosque is also being interpreted as a move aimed at consolidating Erdogan's conservative and religious support base at a time when his popularity is sagging amid an economic downturn.By transforming Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, Erdogan may also be seeking to leave "his permanent imprint" on Istanbul — the city of his birth and where he served as mayor, Cagaptay added.To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities).
New Mosque, Istanbul. Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Mr. Erdogan visited Hagia Sophia twice to oversee preparations, posing for photos, the second time on Thursday evening with his wife, Emine, in front of white drapery that has been suspended in the apse to conceal one of the famous mosaics, depicting the Virgin and Child.But Hagia Sophia would stay open all night through to Saturday morning to allow the faithful the chance to pray inside the mosque, Ali Yerlikaya, the governor of Istanbul, said in a televised news briefing on the eve of the event.But the atmosphere of celebration among the Muslim faithful in Turkey contrasted with the angst and dismay Mr. Erdogan’s decision has generated among Christians around the world and among many in academic and conservation communities.According to one media report, Mr. Erdogan let it be known that he did not sleep all night after signing the decree to restore its status as a mosque such was his emotion.Turkey’s minorities have felt a shift in the mood in the country in recent years since Mr. Erdogan allied himself with the main nationalist party, said Yetvart Danzikyan, editor in chief of Agos, an Armenian newspaper based in Istanbul.Mr. Thus, the construction was continued. The Greek Orthodox Church leader, Archbishiop Ieronymos, held a special service at Athens Cathedral later Friday. Supporters of Mr. Erdogan also acknowledged they had needed the decision to boost their morale after losing Istanbul in mayoral elections last year.“This is a festival for us today, we are so happy,” said Selahattin Yigiter, a retired businessman who was sitting with his wife on a prayer mat on the sidewalk below the nearly 1,500-year-old building.
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