Mosques in Turkey are reopening on Friday, the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople (Istanbul).

The head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate declared that he hold a morning Muslim prayer in the square between Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet Mosque.

“The time has come for 29 May, the day that symbolises the conquest, with Allah’s will for us to conquer those Muslim mosques that are symbols of conquest,” said Ali Erbas, head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate.

READ MORE: Faces of Hagia Sophia, from Orthodox Cathedral to recent threats of turning it into a mosque again

In Turkey, 29 May is celebrated as the “Conquest” of Constantinople, but for Greeks 29 May, 1453, is the date that ended the Byzantine Empire and marked the beginning of  400 years of Turkish occupation.

The choice of the date to open mosques and hold prayer outside Hagia Sophia has sparked fears that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may announce the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The cathedral has been functioning as a museum since 1953, however there repeated calls for its reopening as a mosque. |