The historic Istanbul cathedral and museum, Hagia Sophia, witnessed its first Quran recitation under its roof after 85 years on Greek Easter Saturday, Anadolu agency reported.
On April 11th the imam at modern Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque in the capital Ankara Ali Tel, recited a passage from the Islamic holy scripture, Quran on April 11.
The recitation took place during the exhibition “Love of Prophet,” that the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate launched to commemorate the birth of Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
According to Anadolu, Religious Affairs Chairman Mehmet Gormez, Undersecretary for Ministry of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Haluk and Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin attended the opening ceremony.
The historic basilica served as a cathedral for almost thousand years until 1453, when it was turned into a mosque when Byzantine Constantinople fell and became part of the Ottoman empire. The Turkish government secularized and converted Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1935.
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