Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia will be converted back into a mosque, allowing Muslims to use it as a place of worship after a top court revoked its status as a museum earlier in the day.
Turkey’s top administrative court ruled Friday that the sixth-century Hagia Sophia can be converted into a mosque, annulling a 1934 decision by the government that established the site as a museum, reported state media.
Erdogan congratulated his people, saying now the historical site will be turned into a mosque - a promise he has made more than once, especially during election campaigns.
The site “will be transferred to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and it will be open to worship,” tweeted Erdogan minutes after the ruling came down from the 10th Chamber of the Council of State.