×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Tuesday
23
Dec 2025
weather symbol
Athens 13°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Greece

Thousands of Muslim Turks gather in front of Hagia Sophia demanding to pray inside

‘Young of Anatolia’ Group organised protest

Newsroom May 29 07:31

Thousands of fanatic muslim Turks gathered outside the Hagia Sophia Church demanding it open for Muslim prayers, Saturday night. The protest, organised by a group calling itself ‘Young of Anatolia’, took place on the day commemorating the fall of Constantinople, which is expected to be celebrated in pompous style by the Erdogan government. The crowd chanted ‘break the chains, open the Hagia Sophia’, while prostrating in prayers in front of the historic building. The group claims it has gathered 15 million signatures throughout Turkey calling for the transformation of the structure into a Muslim mosque. Hagia Sophia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site,  was originally built as a Christian Church by Roman Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, before the Ottomans turned it into a mosque after conquering Constantinople. The building was finally transformed into a museum in 1935.     

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

> More Greece

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

6th Meeting of Catechumens and distribution of catechetical material in Stockholm

December 23, 2025

The cost of blockades to the market reaches €200 million per week, with Thessaly suffering the greatest damage

December 23, 2025

Where Christianity is still Persecuted: Beheadings in Mozambique, underage sex slaves in the Occupied Cyprus, churches burned in Nigeria, rapes in Pakistan

December 23, 2025

Greece, Cyprus and Israel decide on joint interdisciplinary exercises and co-training of Special Forces

December 23, 2025

Active Combat: Bill on the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention and Management

December 23, 2025

Irritation in the Turkish media as well over the Trilateral: “The alliance of evil”

December 23, 2025

Smaragda Karydi and Thodoris Atheridis have separated after 23 years

December 23, 2025

Damage, anger and hardship, cancellations in tourism up to 50% due to roadblocks – “Mainland Greece is bleeding,” professionals say

December 23, 2025
All News

> Greece

The cost of blockades to the market reaches €200 million per week, with Thessaly suffering the greatest damage

Trikala and Magnesia reveal the true scale of the damage from blockades and economic hardship, while authorities warn of systemic risk to the economy

December 23, 2025

Active Combat: Bill on the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention and Management

December 23, 2025

Damage, anger and hardship, cancellations in tourism up to 50% due to roadblocks – “Mainland Greece is bleeding,” professionals say

December 23, 2025

Afroditi Latinopoulou’s interview with Tasos Xiarchos, their dance, the young woman who got flustered, and the remark “For someone who’s gay, you outshine many men”

December 23, 2025

The world tour of Bofiliou with Haroulis was cancelled

December 23, 2025
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2025 Πρώτο Θέμα