6.5 million people flock to Hagia Sophia Mosque in 2 years

The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, one of the most popular monuments in Turkey's largest city Istanbul, hosted over 6.5 million visitors since reopening as a mosque two years ago.

The iconic monument served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. It then served as a mosque from 1453 to 1934 – nearly 500 years – and most recently as a museum for 86 years.

Hagia Sophia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

On July 10, 2020, a Turkish court annulled a 1934 Cabinet decree that had turned Hagia Sophia into a museum, paving the way for its use again as a mosque after the 86-year hiatus.

The monument was restored to its former glory as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque on July 24, 2020, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joining hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayer in 86 years inside the Hagia Sophia.

Tourists take a selfie in front of the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

People pray on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, outside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, July 9, 2022.

People pray on the first day of Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, outside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, July 9, 2022.

A seagull grabs a bit of cheese from a tourist near the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, June 25, 2022.

Last week, some 5,000 middle school students who attended the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) summer school in 39 districts in Istanbul, visited the mosque.