"We've waited for years to pray here" - the history of Hagia Sophia Crowds gathered in Istanbul as the historic Hagia Sophia site opened for Friday prayers for the first time since Turkish ...

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020. “My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia ...

Also read: Hagia Sophia: The museum of conflicts During the Ottoman empire ... with census figures from 1638 showing there ...

Turkey's Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside prayer ... paved the way for it to become a mosque. The sixth-century Istanbul landmark's museum status - in place for nearly a century ...

But the real jewel in Istanbul’s crown is Hagia Sophia. Pronounced “hi-ya”, this enormous edifice once reigned as the Orthodox world’s spiritual nucleus for 900 years, then a mosque for half a ...

Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

Spread across two continents and between two seas, Istanbul is a city of empires past. The Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Galata Tower are just some of the many historic structures ...

The rooftop bars and restaurants on the European side of Istanbul get a lot of glory, largely because they’re within walking distance of the major tourist attractions like the Hagia Sophia and ...

Istanbul, straddling two continents yet regarded as a European city, boasts centuries of rich history and an abundance of awe ...