Turkey marks the sixth anniversary of Hagia Sophia's conversion to a mosque

On July 10, Turkey commemorates the sixth anniversary of the 2020 decision to reclassify Hagia Sophia from a museum to a functioning mosque. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) youth wing in Istanbul organized a commemorative march titled 'A Youth Walk,' starting from Bayezid Square and ending at Hagia Sophia. Nevzat Yüce, the head of the AKP youth organization, invited citizens to participate in the event, which carries the slogan 'The Generation of the Conquest walks towards Hagia Sophia.' Government officials, including party spokesperson Ömer Çelik and Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, issued statements describing the 2020 action as a historic moment and a fulfillment of national will. Minister Ersoy also highlighted ongoing extensive restoration efforts, aiming to preserve the structure for future generations. While officials describe the event as the end of an 86-year waiting period, historical context notes the site served as a mosque for 481 years after 1453 before becoming a museum in 1934. The event serves to reinforce the government's narrative regarding the site's role as a symbol of the Ottoman conquest.