Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque ready for holy month of Ramadan

With Ramadan fast approaching, the Fatih Municipality teams in Istanbul conducted cleaning and disinfection work at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque on Tuesday. The municipality’s Environmental Protection and Control Directorate teams cleaned the interior and surroundings of the historical mosque.

Carpets were vacuumed, shoe racks and the interior of the mosque were sprayed with disinfectant. The ablution fountain, mosque courtyard and Hagia Sophia Square were washed with hot water and disinfectant. After the cleaning process, rose water was sprayed inside and outside the mosque – a traditional method that dates back to the Ottoman Empire era.

Fatih Yıldız, a municipality official responsible for the cleaning, stated that the mosque was cleaned with a team of 20 people, saying, “The work will continue throughout Ramadan. Rose water will be sprayed in the mosque every evening during the holy month. Our goal is to provide a cleaner worship environment for the citizens visiting the mosque.”

The mahya reading “La ilaha illallah” (“There is no God but Allah”) was hung between the minarets of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

The centuries-old tradition of mahyas, which decorates mosques during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, began to be hung in mosques in Istanbul starting on Monday.

The works started with the Eyüpsultan Mosque.

Kahraman Yıldız, the mahya craftsman, commented, “The largest letters are in Ayasofya Mosque. It is difficult, but it is worth three mosques. Actually, the craftsmanship is difficult, it is a heavy job, but it looks very beautiful visually. Let it be good and auspicious.”

Hagia Sophia, which served as a museum for 86 years, was officially reopened for worship with the Friday prayer held under the name Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque on July 24, 2020.

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