ISTANBUL: A ceremony was held at the historic Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey on the occasion of the Ascension Night after 87 years. According to Turkish media reports, the 27th night of the month of Rajab al-Marjab 1442 AH was celebrated with religious devotion and respect throughout the country. This year, a large number of people arrive at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to perform prayer as part of the Muslim holy night of Lailat al Miraj, in Istanbul, Turkey , which was attended by a large number of citizens. According to the report, after almost eight decades, after 87 years, the voices of blessings and peace were raised in the mosque on the occasion of Shab-e-Meraj. The Turkish Institute of Religious Affairs also organized special events on the occasion of Ascension Night. It should be noted that after the court decision last year, the Turkish president opened the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul for congregational prayers on July 24 after eight decades. It may be recalled that on July 10, a Turkish court had decided to convert Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque again. Following the court decision, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a presidential decree to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque. Sophia’s museum lost its status and was taken over by the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs.
