Istanbul: Mosques in Turkey reopened on Friday for mass prayers after more than two months as the government further eased strict restrictions to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Turkey has been shifting since May to a "new normal" by easing lockdown measures and opening shopping malls, barbershops and hair salons.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said many other sites -- restaurants and cafes as well as libraries, parks and beaches -- will reopen from Monday.
Hundreds of worshippers wearing protective masks performed mass prayers outside Istanbul's historic Blue Mosque for the first time since mosques were shut down in March.
In the Ottoman-era Fatih mosque, worshippers prayed both inside and outside, with the municipality handing out disinfectants and disposable carpets.
"I have waited a lot for this, I have prayed a lot. I can say it's like a new birth, thanks to God, he has brought us back here," he said.
Another worshipper, Asum Tekif, 50, said: "It has a been a long time... we missed the mosques."
Turkey, a country of 83 million, has so far recorded 4,489 coronavirus-related deaths and 162,120 confirmed cases.
Prayers in Hagia Sophia
Muslim clerics on Friday recited prayers in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous Istanbul landmark which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque.
The prayers were held to celebrate the anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, today's Istanbul, by the Ottomans in 1453.
"It is very important to commemorate the 567th anniversary of the conquest ... through prayers in the Hagia Sophia," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the ceremony via videoconference.
The stunning edifice was first built as a church in the sixth century under the Byzantine Empire as the centrepiece of its capital Constantinople.
After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque before being turned into a museum during the rule of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in the 1930s.
But there have been hints about reconverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Last year, Erdogan himself mooted the possibility of turning Hagia Sofia museum into a mosque.
Such calls have sparked anger among Christians and raised tensions with neighbouring Greece.
In 2015, a Muslim cleric recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years to mark the opening of an exhibition.
After Friday prayers at the Blue Mosque, a small group of Muslim worshippers shouted: "Let the chains break and let the Hagia Sophia open".
The group was later dispersed by the police who stopped them from protesting near Hagia Sophia that sits immediately opposite the Blue Mosque.
However, the case is not completely solved as the 21-year-old girl, who was found with her boyfriend house at Naimarmoola near Kasargod on Friday, told the police that she would not return to her parents' house.
Comments
Best Decision?? how do u know ?? How can you tell that??
Happy Married Life
hahaha.. sorry yaaro odihodlu antha burnol and itch guard haakolllodakke naavenu jihadi gala ... we are now enjoying surgical strikes on mini pakistanis ... kushi ge yenne hodeyodralle busy weekend nalli ... saw indian channels , in almost all channels ...Jihadis and burqas ninthonkondu modi na baiyyodu nodidre gottagate ,burnol and itch guard yelli jaasthi agide antha gottu ...
neo converts are used by ISIS to wage Jihad , namge worry irodu ashte ... its two way process kanree ... even last week i saw 2 muslim gals leaving piece ful religion towards hinduism and christianity ...
abbu beary samadhana kanappa ... nin kashta artha agatte ... rashtradrohi kelasa nodi ... police and NIA involve age agatte ...yevano jayanthi anthavne kanrappo ... jayanthi annodu hoge haaksi kondavrige kanappa ... swalpanadru general knowledge beku .. madrasa product antha gottagi biduthe ...hhahaha...adakke bere 6 liikings , it proves madrasa education yaav level ge antha ...
Naren Kotian
You have mistaken Sanathan Dharma. We are the true followers of Sanathan Dharma which prohibits Idol Worship.
We recite Gayathri mantra 17 times in our prayer. Rigveda 3-62-10
It is the first chapter of the Quran.
It has to be logically from One Supreme Creator who has no Image. Creator who is unlike His creations. Understand the Truth. Study your scriptures learn sanskrit come back to the Truth.
Because Truth is going to succeed and falsehood is bound to perish
She has come back to the Sanatan Dharma
Happy married life for couple. Burnol+ itch guard to naren Singapore.
Best decision from her side, congrats
Naren bhai ... u have mistaken !!!! The picture what cd published here is her old picture when she was a piece , in sha allah we can see a peacefull picture of her in the future with the hijab
MADHUVE JAYANTI FOR BOTH...AND BURNOOL JAYANTI FOR CHADDIS.
If Muslim girl elopes with Hindu boy, police intervene to unite them. Here, the case is vice versa and the same police are separating the couple. What a tragedy.
her t shirts speaks alot she left peaceful religion( sanatan dharma) and joined piece piece religion :) hahaha ... not a loss,its two way process ... but NIA must track these guys becoz converts are used in ISIS .We know 21 neo converts joined ISIS from kasragod . there is chance of waging jihad against own country
This love, staying with a girl before marrieage, and dont know the islam , Quran and hadith. Simply enjoying in duniya is not the behaviour of true muslim. They are spoiling their life here and here after even took birth in muslim family and have a name of muslim. and also they are spoiling the name of our muslim community. Our prophet Muhammad(PBUH) Said, a Muslim sweeping lady is better than other non muslim girls to marry.
made for each other.
let them lead their life. good or bad finally they are the one who suffer.
giving birth , giving education , love and everything by the parents and finally the girl is saying that i don't want parents and the boy who poses like Salman Khan is her choice.
she will repent one day.
at the moment let them both enjoy....
Wher is my comment?why you do not posted my comments?is there any mistake is there? please CD dont show double standeard becouse im one of the reguler reader..
This is the result of advanced tech. Parents has to check their all mobile no.s which has fake names i.e real boys name as girl's name (dummy) and incoming calls blocked by lovers. Only user will unlock during parents absence.
parents are not much educated enough to the effect of Facebook and whatsapp. If you want to provide phone to your children give them simple phone where they can not download illicit apps
May Allah (SWT) guide the couple with hidaayah!!! We should not blame them. Islam is not dependable. Enough preacher for Islam.
Congratulations Girl for the best decision.
Police dept to call both both parents with them and discuss face face and try to solve with in their limit and both elders satiso actiso action.
Interference of any dirty criminal groups, anti Indian groups or any communal mind political leader or their organized goonda group department must take strict action and send them behind bar at least for one year period for igniting communal tension.
Trust this will spoil all trouble makers intention and their political benefit gains.
irrespective of religion all middle class citizens are suffering with present red currency exchange procedures. In between communal mind politicians creating problem and planning communal tension is not faith.
God will never accept thought.
Jai Hind!
Well she should not be blamed it is bcoz of unproper teaching if she know teachings it would not had happened
Congratulations to the couple, leave in peace, take care of each other.
we respect all the religions, but above all it's love. loving each other is more important than anything else. They have won the love, may god bless you, LOVE IS GOD.
Cute Couples, happy married life to both.
Add new comment