Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya informed the president on the work inside Hagia Sophia which was being readied for worship. He greeted a crowd outside following the visit.
Hagia Sophia saw an increasing number of visitors after the decree which came on the heels of a court ruling paving the way for reverting the museum's status.
After Hagia Sophia, Erdoğan visited a mosque under construction in Istanbul's Taksim Square and a culture center also under construction across from the mosque.
