Turkey’s highest administrative court overturned the 1934 decree in 2020, allowing it to reopen as a mosque. “We have completed our work on the four minarets and the main structure,” Okten said.

Turkey’s highest administrative court overturned the 1934 decree in 2020, allowing it to reopen as a mosque. “We have completed our work on the four minarets and the main structure,” Okten said.

Scaffolds are installed in Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque for restoration work, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. Credit: AP/Emrah Gurel Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in ...

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) ...