President of Religious Affairs Erbaş announces the imams and muezzins commissioned at the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque

The President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş appointed the religious officials to the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque.

3 imam-khatibs (prayer leader and preachers) and 5 muezzin-qayyims (for secondary tasks in the mosque related to adhan, cleaning etc.) have been appointed to the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque which is going to be re-opened for worship after 86 years with the Friday prayer that is going to be established n 24th of July.

The President of Religious Affairs disclosed the names of the newly appointed religious officials for the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque at the press meeting that was held at İstanbul Mufti’s Office.

Reminding that the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque is going to be re-opened for worship with the Friday prayer that is going to be established n 24th of July, “Our mosques works as ‘’suffa’’ at the same time as a branch of al-Masjid al-Nabi. Their officials work to ensure that they work both as school and scientific education. For this reason, our hodjas appointed here today are highly valuable hodjas and they are going to feed our nation well in all terms and to reach the correct information, beautiful Qur’an recitation, and beautiful tilawat to our nation,” said President Erbaş.

The President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş expressed that they commissioned 3 imam-khatibs and 5 muezzin-qayyims at the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque and continued his words as follows,

“If Allah permits, we trust them in terms of managing the works at the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque. Maybe it is going to be the first time in the history and it is going to be at Hagia Sophia Mosque. In fact, the appointments which are going to be realized today are going to be in conformity with our ancient history. At that time, the great hodjas of Hagia Sophia Madrasa, which can be considered as the university of the time, were undertaking the duty of imamate of the Hagia Sophia Mosque. In conformity with our history, we today commission as imams a professor faculty member hodja Prof. Dr. Mehmet Boynukalın who is a qurra hafiz, a faculty member of Marmara University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Islamic Law, and really gives satisfying information to his students and many citizens; Qurra hafiz Ferruh Muştuer hodja who is İstanbul New Mosque’s Imam-Khatib and the world’s champion at 2015 Contest of Beautiful Recitation of the Holy Qur’an; and Qurra hafiz Bünyamin Topçuoğlu hodja who is İstanbul Fatih Mosque’s Imam-Khatib and again the world’s champion at 2009 Contest of Beautiful Recitation of the Holy Qur’an. These three imams-khatibs, if Allah permits, are going to serve our nation at Hagia Sophia Mosque. Sultanahmet Mosque’s Muezzin Mehmet Hadi Duran, Sultanahmet Mosque’s Muezzin İbrahim Çoban, Kadıköy Selamiçeşme Mosque’s Muezzin Şükrü Asıleren who had the second place at TRT's Contest of Beautiful Recitation of the Holy Qur’an in Turkey, Emirgan Mosque’s Imam-Khatib and hafiz Alpcan Çelik who became the world’s champion at 2014 Contest of Beautiful Recitation of the Holy Qur’an; and Beyazıt Mosque’s Muezzin Rıdvan Akbaş who had the first place at 2015 Contest of Beautiful Adhan Recitation in Turkey are going to serve our nation at Hagia Sophia Mosque by reciting adhans and tilawats. If Allah permits, we are going to exert effort to give service to our nation and all Muslims at the Hagia Sophia Mosque with our imams and muezzins. May the Almighty Allah bestow more beauty to the voices of all our hodjas, may He increase their love of science and service, and may He let them serve long years at the Hagia Sophia Mosque."

The Head of the Board of Inspection and Recitation of the Qur’an Hafiz Osman Şahin, Mufti of İstanbul Province Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Maşalı, and the religious officials of the Great Hagia Sophia Mosque were also present at the press meeting