Hagia Sophia In Istanbul, Turkey, From Cathedral To Mosque To Museum And To Mosque Again

Catholic News Agency  reported as follows [1]:

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia, the former cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul, into a mosque.

The presidential decree was signed within hours of a court ruling Friday, which declared unlawful an 80-year old government decree which converted the building from a mosque into a museum.

Ayasofya Mosque, as it is known in Turkish, will now fall under the supervision of the government’s religious directorate.

...

When the museum reopens for worship as a mosque, it is believed that the mosaics will have to be covered during Muslim prayers, as well as the seraph figures located in the high basilica dome. 

At least the mosaics will remain untouched for now.

It is surprising that the Turkish president wanted to turn Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque even though the nearby Blue Mosque is quite large, having the following specifications [2]:

Capacity 10,000
Length 73 m (240 ft)
Width 65 m (213 ft)

The Blue Mosque is only a short walk from the Hagia Sophia.  The directions below are quoted in part from Google maps [3]:

4 min (300 m)
via Atmeydanı Cd.
Mostly flat

The Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmet, Atmeydanı Cd. No:7, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey

Head northwest toward Atmeydanı Cd.
7 m

Turn right onto Atmeydanı Cd.
240 m

Turn right onto Ayasofya Meydanı
60 m

Hagia Sophia
Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey

[1] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/hagia-sophia-declared-a-mosque-hours-after-court-ruling-92875
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque
[3] From Google Maps