ISTANBUL: Mosaics depicting Christian figures in Istanbul’s ancient Hagia Sophia will be covered with curtains during Muslim prayers, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday, as work to prepare the building for use as a mosque continues.
Authorities had said last week that the mosaics would be concealed with either curtains or lasers when the first prayers are held next Friday.
In a move that sparked sparked international criticism and concern, President Tayyip Erdogan declared Hagia Sophia open to Muslim worship earlier this month following a court ruling that said the building’s conversion to a museum in 1934 was unlawful.
Hagia Sophia dates back to the sixth century and has a history as both a church and a mosque before it was turned into a museum.
In an interview with broadcaster NTV, Kalin said some mosaics of Mary and Gabriel that are positioned in the direction of Qiblah, where Muslims face during prayer, would be covered with curtains.
He said other mosaics of Jesus and other Christian figures did not pose an obstacle for Muslim prayers because they are not located in the direction of Qiblah. But he did not say whether they would remain uncovered at all times.
Outside prayers, Hagia Sophia will be open to all visitors and tourists and all mosaics will be uncovered, authorities have said.
Erdogan visited the mosque earlier on Sunday to inspect the progress in preparing the building.
Hagia Sophia mosaics will be covered with curtains during prayers — Turkish presidential spokesman
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Hagia Sophia mosaics will be covered with curtains during prayers — Turkish presidential spokesman
- Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside prayer times and its Christian icons will remain
- It was a cathedral for nearly 1,000 years before being converted into a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1935
Over 9,350 Palestinians held in Israeli detention as of January
- Detainees include 53 women and girls, 2 of whom are minors, and around 350 children held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons
- Total number of administrative detainees is 3,385, while those classified by Israel as ‘unlawful combatants’ amount to 1,237
LONDON: The number of Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers has surpassed 9,350 as of early January 2026, according to reports from Palestinian prisoners’ organizations.
According to the institutions, based on data released by the Israeli Prison Service, the detainees include 53 women and girls, two of whom are minors, and around 350 children held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons.
The total number of administrative detainees is 3,385, while those classified by Israel as “unlawful combatants” amount to 1,237. This figure does not account for all detainees from Gaza held in Israeli military camps under this classification, which also includes a few Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria.
Prisoners’ institutions reported that approximately 50 percent of detainees are held without charges, either under administrative detention or classified as “unlawful combatants” by Israel.
Administrative detainees account for over 36 percent of all Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The classifications of administrative detention and “unlawful combatants” permit the indefinite detention of individuals without charge in military detention centers.
