Turkish Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbash held a Friday sermon in Aya Sofia holding a sword in his hand.
86 years after the call to prayer was heard in the pulpits and mihrabs of the historic Aya Sofia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, thousands of children of Tawheed were drawn from all over the country.
Before the prayers, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoانan recited the Holy Quran and Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbash delivered a sermon on Friday. Leaning his sword on the stairs, he ascended the pulpit and the onlookers were glorified.
Read also: Performing Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid Aya Sofia after 86 years
He delivered a sermon holding a sword which is a tradition of the Ottoman Caliphate and is considered a symbol of victory.
He held a sword in his left hand, which on the one hand conveyed a message of awe to the hearts of the enemies and on the other hand gave a message of strength and confidence to the allies.
On this occasion, 18,000 police personnel were deployed for security while 800 doctors and 110 ambulances were deployed to provide medical facilities.
3 Imams and 5 muezzins of Turkey were honored to perform the region and call to prayer.
