First Jumat Prayers In 80 Years At Famous Cathedral By eldgboye
The story of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) a prestigious Cathedral built more than a thousand years ago in Constantinople known today as Istanbul, Turkey, is a peculiar and iconic historical episode with contemporary relevance according to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Here are the multiple faces of Hagia Sophia:
• Built in 537 AD. as the Patriarchal Cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
• Remained the largest Church in the World for almost 1,000 years before the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520 AD.
• A Greek Orthodox Christian Patriarchal Cathedral.
• Converted to a Catholic Cathedral in 1204-1261.
• Reverted to an Orthodox Christian Cathedral in 1261.
• Became Ayasofya Grand Mosque in 1453.
• Became a secular museum in 1935.
• The most visited tourist site in Turkey 2015 and 2019 as a museum.
• Now reconverted to a mosque July, 2020.
The 24th day of July, 2020 marked the first jumat prayers in 80 years hosted by Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya Grand mosque, with the Turkish President and other dignitaries in attendance.
The new status of the iconic Cathedral reverted to a Mosque generated global controversies and opposition from the following:
1. Turkish opposition groups
2. United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
3. World Council of Churches.
4. Prominent International leaders.
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