Somalia has commended the decision by the Turkish government to reconvert the iconic Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque.
For decades, the facility has served as a museum. However, Turkish authorities have now opted to reconvert it into a place of worship.
The decision was highly welcomed in Mogadishu where tens of Somalis gathered to celebrate the conversion of one of Istanbul’s most iconic buildings into a mosque.
On July 11, the highest administrative court in Turkey voted unanimously to cancel a decision by the cabinet in 1934 to convert Hagia Sophia Mosque into a museum.
According to the court, the property was registered as a mosque. Consequently, the initial decision to transform it into a museum was illegal.
Hagia Sophia is a 1,500-year old monument that both Christians and Muslims revere.