Is Hagia Sophia a mosque?
Yes, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has been a mosque again since July 2020. It was built as a cathedral in 537, became a mosque in 1453, a museum in 1934, and a mosque once more in 2020. It's open for prayers, and visitors can still go in.
Fifteen centuries in a few lines
- 537: Byzantine Emperor Justinian completes Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") as the main cathedral of Constantinople.
- 1453: Sultan Mehmed II conquers the city and turns the building into a mosque. Minarets, a mihrab and a minbar are added over the following centuries.
- 1934: Under Atatürk, the secular Turkish republic makes it a museum.
- 2020: A Turkish court annuls the museum decision, and Friday prayers are held there again on 24 July 2020.
What it's like today
The ground floor is used for prayer, with carpets laid out facing the qibla. Christian mosaics are still there; some near the prayer area are covered or softly lit during prayers. Muslims can enter free for prayer. Since 2024, foreign tourists pay an entry fee and visit mainly from the upper gallery. The usual mosque dress code applies. See Can I visit a mosque if I'm not Muslim?
Why the 2020 decision was debated
Many Muslims in Turkey celebrated the return of prayer, seeing it as restoring the status the building held for almost 500 years. Others, including some Muslim scholars and many Christians, felt sad or uneasy, because the building was first a church and had become a shared heritage site.
Islam has a strong tradition of protecting other people's places of worship. The Quran mentions monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques together as places that would have been destroyed if people did not defend one another:
A well-known historical report says Caliph Umar declined to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, so later Muslims wouldn't claim it. Scholars weigh these principles differently when it comes to conquered buildings, so there isn't one "Islamic view" on Hagia Sophia. See Is there freedom of religion in Islam?
Visiting as a new Muslim
You can pray there like in any mosque. If you visit with Christian family members, it can be a natural moment to talk about what Muslims and Christians share, and to show respect for their history. See Can Muslims go to church?
- Built as a cathedral in 537; a mosque since 1453, except 1934 to 2020.
- Reconverted into a mosque in July 2020.
- Open for prayer; tourists can still visit.
- The reconversion is debated, including among Muslims.
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