Hagia Sophia opens for Muslim prayers after 86 years

Thousands of Turks performed prayers at Hagia Sophia for the first time since Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again .

Clerics in white robes recites from the Holy Quran .  Mosaics and frescoes of Jesus and Mary were draped with curtains.
The 1,500-year-old Unesco World Heritage site became a museum in 1934. A top Turkish court announced this month it had annulled Hagia Sophia's status as a museum.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded quickly to the ruling, vowing that the world-famous site would be ready for Friday prayers from 24 July, and he was seen joining worshippers at around midday  .
As crowds grew, leaving little space for social distancing, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said authorities had stopped people entering the area due to concerns about the spread the Covid=19 .