Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the conversion of Byzantine-era architecture Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The announcement came an hour after the ruling was handed down by the country's administrative court on Friday. Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century under the direction of Emperor Justinian I, ruler of the Byzantine Empire. At that time it was the largest church in the world. When Istanbul was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. After the fall of the empire in 1934, the mosque was turned into a museum by a decree signed by Mustafa Kemal Atatą§rk. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Last May, President Recep Tayyip Erdoan offered prayers at Hagia Sophia on the anniversary of the Istanbul victory. At that time, when it was announced to be converted into a mosque, the United States, Greece and Russia started sharp criticism. On Friday, the court annulled the 1934 decree. As a result, the Erdogan administration had no qualms about turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared a decree on Hagia Sophia on his Twitter account, according to Middle East-based news outlet Al Jazeera. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Hagia Sophia will be open for Muslims to pray on July 15.
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