In mid-2020, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, turned the world-famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul from a museum into a mosque - the entrance was free after that change, but soon that will change for tourists, writes dpa.
At the time, Erdogan reassured the public that the entrance fees would be abolished and that the cultural monument was open to everyone - Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
From January 15, there will be another big change: the entrance to Hagia Sophia will be limited and visitors will have to pay for it again.
The country's tourism minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoj, hopes that the change will lead to better coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Tourists inevitably create noise and disturb peace and prayer, Ersoy said recently.
Until now, tourists and worshipers could enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signposts that maintained a certain distance.
However, from mid-January believers and visitors will have separate entrances.
While the faithful will be able to use the existing entrances, tourists will be introduced through the gallery on the first floor.
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