Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a surprise visit to Hagia Sophia. The Turkish president was in Hagia Sophia, just a few hours before its first function as a mosque, in order to check the last details before the first prayer which is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 24, at 13:00.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived at 17:30 from Ankara to Istanbul, landed at Ataturk Airport and went straight to Hagia Sophia. He entered through the back door to inspect the final preparations.
According to OPEN TV, what is heard is that he is accompanied by the leader of the nationalists and his partner in the government, Devlet Bahceli, as well as the head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Erbas. According to an Open Channel report, there are a large number of police officers around Erdogan and those who accompanied him to Hagia Sophia.
According to the Open Channel report, Recep Tayyip Erdogan first entered the Hagia Sophia and while he was inside the monument, an acoustic test was performed, in order for the Turkish president to give his approval (even) to this: How to sing, that is, on Friday the imam prays.
Then, together with his followers, Erdogan went out of the Hagia Sophia and headed to a part of the monument, from which a white paper began to peel off, which covered the new name of Hagia Sophia. Beneath this paper was the inscription - written in English: Hagia Sophia, the great mosque. Recep Tayyip Erdogan also changed the sign from the monument.