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Events on Friday 10 July 2020 1
2020Reconverted to a mosque -- 2020On 10 July 2020, Turkey's Council of State annuls the 1934 cabinet decree that converted Hagia Sophia to a museum, and President Erdogan signs a decree transferring it to the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs) for use as a mosque. The first Friday prayers are held on 24 July 2020. The conversion is welcomed in Turkey and across the Muslim world; it is condemned by the Greek government, UNESCO, the World Council of Churches, the United States and the European Union. The Byzantine mosaics remain uncovered but are hidden during prayer times by curtains or lighting adjustments. The building is open to non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times.