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First Prayers Held in Turkey’s Hagia Sophia

reporter 1222 — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 06:32:40 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday joined the first Muslim Friday prayers attended by thousands in Hagia Sophia since the reconversion of the iconic Istanbul cathedral into a mosque.c

The highest administrative court revoked Hagia Sophia, the sixth-century monument’s status as a museum on July 10 and Erdogan then ordered the building to reopen for Muslim prayers, AFP wrote.

Wearing an Islamic skullcap, Erdogan recited a verse from the Holy Qur’an before the call to prayer was heard from the four minarets of Hagia Sophia. Then Ali Erbas, the head of the state religious affairs directorate, delivered the sermon, which was broadcast live on Turkish news channels.

There was such a large flow of people keen to take part in the prayer, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday morning the spaces in and around Hagia Sophia were swiftly filled.

Aynur Saatci, 49, described it as a “historic moment”, saying she was on holiday in Erzurum, eastern Turkey, but came back for the event.

“I immediately cut my holiday short and returned to Istanbul as soon as I knew we could pray in Hagia Sophia,” Saatci said. “I’m deeply moved.”

“This is the moment when Turkey breaks its chains. Now it can do whatever it wants, without having to submit to the West,” Selahattin Aydas, from Germany, said.

“We’ve been waiting for this for years. I’m very happy. There might be sanctions against Turkey because of this, or the number of tourists may fall but that doesn’t change anything for me,” Hatip, who manages a souvenir shop near Hagia Sophia, said.

In Greece, churches were in “mourning” with their bells around the country pealed at midday to protest the reconversion.

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Friday Prayer hold in al-Aqsa Mosque

reporter 1222 — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 08:31:12 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Tens of thousands of Palestinians attended the Friday prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Jerusalem (al-Quds) for the first time in about two months due to the coronavirus closure.

Al-Aqsa Mosque’s director Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani said that over 50,000 worshipers attended the Friday prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards, the Palestinian Information Center said on Saturday.

Sheikh Mohammed Salim, an Aqsa Mosque preacher, in his Friday sermon, called on Palestinian worshipers to resume their activities at al-Aqsa Mosque and intensify their presence there.

Earlier in the day, thousands of Palestinians, despite Israeli barriers and restrictions, managed to arrive at al-Aqsa Mosque from areas inside and outside Jerusalem for the dawn prayer.

Al-Aqsa Mosque was reopened on Sunday after a 69-day lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Eid al-Fitr prayers to be held in Iran

reporter 1222 — Sat, 16 May 2020 09:29:11 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced on Saturday that the Eid al-Fitr prayers (on May 24) will be held in all mosques across the country by observing health protocols.

Making the remarks in a meeting of the National Committee on Combating Coronavirus, Rouhani also informed that Quds Day rallies, which are held on the last Friday of Ramadan internationally (this year falls on May 22), will be held in cities recognized as being in white conditions, and in major cities including Tehran protestors will observe the event riding their personal cars.

As he added IRGC is to take the responsibility of holding Quds days rallies in Tehran.

Rouhani noted that Iran has passed the main climax of the coronavirus outbreak but the conditions are not normal yet.

He added that after Ramadan, restaurants will be reopened considering some specific protocols, while holly places, such as shrines, will be reopened restrictively for some specific hours.

According to him, Iranian universities will be reopened from June 6.

Tehran Governor-General Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpei announced on May 12 that the Eid al-Fitr (fasting feast) prayers will be held in the Iranian capital in case the National Committee on Combating Coronavirus issues the permit.

According to the announcement made by the Head of Islamic Development Organization Hojatoeslam Mohammad Ghomi, all mosques across Iran have been re-opened preserving health protocols under the coronavirus pandemic as of March 12.

As Ghomi informed, the decision for re-opening of the mosques have been made due to the request of Iranian people and following the held talks with officials of the Iranian health ministry due to the order of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about holding the religious ceremonies on the upcoming Laylat al-Qadr nights in Ramadan.

Iran is incrementally reopening its religious places for holding religious ceremonies during Ramadan.

After more than two-month hiatus in performing Friday prayers across the country due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the Friday prayers were held in 157 cities of the country through observing health protocols as of May 8.

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