"Hagia Sophia falls under Turkey’s jurisdiction ... the meeting of Western leaders in Kiev on February 24 exposed the divide that exists between countries supporting Ukraine and the United ...

Turkey's Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside prayer times and its Christian icons will remain, religious officials said on Tuesday, after a court ruling paved the way for it to become a mosque.

When Prince Vladimir of Kiev converted to Christ in AD 988 ... the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the beautiful Church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople (Istanbul today).

ISTANBUL, July 24. /TASS/. Hagia Sophia officially welcomed all visitors today, as people are now allowed to pray in the newly-designated mosque and visit as tourists, TASS reports from the site.