Kariye Mosque to be open to worship in Friday prayer
ISTANBUL / ANKARA
Kariye Mosque in the Fatih district of Istanbul will be opened to worship after 72 years with the Friday prayers on Oct. 30, said Ali Erbaş, the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate.
“The mosque will meet its congregation. May Allah hears the adhans in the mosque for long,” Erbaş wrote on Twitter.
The latest preparations in the mosque have been finished and are ready for the opening in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Demirören News Agency reported.
Kariye, which was built as a church in the sixth century, was converted into a mosque in 1511 during the Ottoman period. Based on a decision of the cabinet at the time, the mosque was turned into a museum on Aug. 29, 1945.
However, the Council of State reversed the judgment in 2019, and Kariye was once again turned back to a mosque in August this year.
Having been served both as a church and a mosque, Kariye is full of mosaics and frescos.
A new curtain system has been built inside the mosque that will function as per the prayer schedule of the mosque, according to the officials.
“The sound system is also ready for use,” officials added.
One of the characteristics of the Kariye Mosque would be that the rugs will be of the same color as the ones in the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was turned into a mosque on July 24.
“400 square meters of green-colored rugs were brought from the western province of Mainisa,” the Demirören News Agency reported.
