![Emrah Gurel A visitor takes photographs during his visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/e4afff09ddcf41a6a730e94a389b3bb6/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A visitor takes photographs during his visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel Muslim worshippers perform evening prayer in a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/77cb8226fb2d454faebbec0589514bf3/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Muslim worshippers perform evening prayer in a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel Muslim worshippers perform evening prayer in a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/496799791cc44df3b76d52a6a7e5f4dd/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Muslim worshippers perform evening prayer in a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel A visitor takes photographs during her visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/10ff575e350f4d9581be1e5e174ceebe/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A visitor takes photographs during her visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/b2f17bda6f5a4aceb4c37acff24a048a/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel A Muslim cleric walks along a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/0c914185570a45f4805e1a4096187bc0/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A Muslim cleric walks along a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel A visitor takes photographs during her visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/381c1b0e26244150b8d44e791590cca9/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A visitor takes photographs during her visit to a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/93257f49dcad411bb63e68002524447f/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel A Muslim cleric walks along a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/7ae707a3058f4d979399821b3fec34e8/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A Muslim cleric walks along a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/66dd1553d310485a83181477dd6dfaa1/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
![Emrah Gurel People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/9dbf3b9e149c410a8c3e8c79ee47a757/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
People visit a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)