<p>Turkey's Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside prayer times and its Christian icons will remain, religious officials said Tuesday, after a court ruling paved the way for it to become a mosque.</p>.<p>The sixth-century Istanbul landmark's museum status -- in place for nearly a century -- was revoked on Friday, with control handed to the religious authority Diyanet.</p>.<p>The decision sparked condemnation from Western governments, Russia and Christian leaders -- Pope Francis saying he was "very distressed".</p>.<p>Hagia Sophia was a cathedral for nearly 1,000 years before being converted into a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1935.</p>.<p>Diyanet said in a statement on Tuesday that the Christian icons in Hagia Sophia were "not an obstacle to the validity of the prayers".</p>.<p>"The icons should be curtained off and unlit through appropriate means during prayer times," it said.</p>.<p>"There is no obstacle from a religious perspective to Hagia Sophia Mosque being open to visitors outside prayer times," the statement added.</p>.<p>Hagia Sophia, a major tourist attraction, has been the scene of Islam-linked activities in recent years. In 2018, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan controversially recited a verse from the Koran in the building.</p>.<p>Erdogan, who said the first Muslim prayers would begin in Hagia Sofia on July 24, has insisted the building will be open to all, including non-Muslims.</p>.<p>In an address to the nation, the Turkish leader promised: "We will preserve Hagia Sophia's status as a cultural heritage the same as our ancestors did."</p>.<p>"I want to stress that Hagia Sophia turned into a mosque from a museum, not from a church," he said.</p>
<p>Turkey's Hagia Sophia will open to visitors outside prayer times and its Christian icons will remain, religious officials said Tuesday, after a court ruling paved the way for it to become a mosque.</p>.<p>The sixth-century Istanbul landmark's museum status -- in place for nearly a century -- was revoked on Friday, with control handed to the religious authority Diyanet.</p>.<p>The decision sparked condemnation from Western governments, Russia and Christian leaders -- Pope Francis saying he was "very distressed".</p>.<p>Hagia Sophia was a cathedral for nearly 1,000 years before being converted into a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1935.</p>.<p>Diyanet said in a statement on Tuesday that the Christian icons in Hagia Sophia were "not an obstacle to the validity of the prayers".</p>.<p>"The icons should be curtained off and unlit through appropriate means during prayer times," it said.</p>.<p>"There is no obstacle from a religious perspective to Hagia Sophia Mosque being open to visitors outside prayer times," the statement added.</p>.<p>Hagia Sophia, a major tourist attraction, has been the scene of Islam-linked activities in recent years. In 2018, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan controversially recited a verse from the Koran in the building.</p>.<p>Erdogan, who said the first Muslim prayers would begin in Hagia Sofia on July 24, has insisted the building will be open to all, including non-Muslims.</p>.<p>In an address to the nation, the Turkish leader promised: "We will preserve Hagia Sophia's status as a cultural heritage the same as our ancestors did."</p>.<p>"I want to stress that Hagia Sophia turned into a mosque from a museum, not from a church," he said.</p>