Kariye Mosque closes for visits on Fridays

The Kariye Mosque in Istanbul will no longer be open to visitors on Fridays due to an overwhelming number of visitors, the Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced.

"The 'Visitor Management Plan for the Purpose of Conservation' will be implemented starting [Aug. 19] at the Kariye mosque," the General Directorate of Foundations, a body tied to the ministry, said in a recent statement.

To manage high demand, Fridays will be reserved exclusively for worship, with the mosque accessible to Turkish citizens and Muslim foreigners.

"Those coming to worship will have free access to the mosque," Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated.

He also mentioned that the mosque will remain open for tourist visits on other days, with an entrance fee of 20 euros, effective from Aug. 19.

"On other days, 15 minutes before prayer times, tourist visits will be suspended, and citizens and Muslim foreigners who come to worship will be able to enter the mosque free of charge," he added, further clarifying the visitation process.

The Kariye Mosque, originally an ancient Orthodox Church, was first converted into a place of Muslim worship in 1511. It was turned into a museum in 1945 following the establishment of the Turkish Republic. However, after a presidential decree in 2020 and extensive restoration works, Kariye reopened as a mosque on May 6 this year.