According to Turkish news reports, the once Christian Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople, Turkey will essentially be turned into a mosque for the 30 days of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Turkish ‘Daily Sabah’ reports that during the Islamic holy month, starting on June 6 and ending July 7, the Quran will be read in the Hagia Sophia every day, while the recitation of the Islamic texts will be broadcast live on the religious TV channel ‘TRT Diyanet’. As Turkish media report, the Quran will be recited as part of the morning prayer (sahur) and is titled ‘Hagia Sophia-Time of Blessing’.

The historic site is on the UNESCO world heritage list and was a Christian Church for nearly a 1,000 years, before being converted into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman empire in 1453. It was made into a museum in 1935. Recently calls by fundamentalist Muslim groups in Turkey have been demanding the Islamic conservative President of the country, Erdogan turn the site into a mosque.