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Istanbul, Turkey

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The language spoken is Turkish. However, due to its status as a major international hub and historical crossroads, other languages are also spoken, including English, French, German, as well as Greek and Arabic. While English proficiency is not very high overall in Turkey, it is more common in tourist areas and among younger generations.

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The percentage of Muslims in Turkey is about 99% and the remaining 0.1% are Christians.

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festival in istanbul 2025 - Google Search

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The Hagia Sophia. Part 1 - An Introduction

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The Hagia Sophia is a centuries-old architectural masterpiece. While there is some debate over the exact year construction began on the mosque, it is around the year 343 that we see the first records of construction. What is definite is that a little less that 20 years later in 360, one of the most famous religious sites was completed. At the time, the Hagia Sophia was in fact not a mosque, but a Christian church titled "the Great Church." However, very soon disaster would strike the building, and the Hagia Sophia would go on to be converted to a mosque in 1453. Despite its holy grounds, in 1935 the Hagia Sophia would be opened to the public as a museum for 85 years, until in 2020, it once again became a place of worship.

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As of modern day, the Turkish government is currently defined as a Republican Parliamentary Democracy under the leadership of the Turkish Republic's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government is based on a combination of multiple European legal systems and has 550 elected seats within its legislative branch. However, this system only came about relatively recently in terms of the Hagia Sophia, and in fact it is ancient politics that brought the Hagia Sophia to how it is today. The buildings construction only began due to an official commission from emperor Constantine I. The Hagia Sophia's original destruction was at the hands of a riot in political and religious turmoil, and later after it was rebuilt a second time, the Turkish conquest of Constantinople would completely shift the Hagia Sophia's religious purpose and it would officially become a mosque.

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Being a place of Islamic worship, the Hagia Sophia is a popular place to celebrate two of the most important festivals in the Muslims faith: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The festival of Eid al-Fitr is a "breaking the fast" festival, which celebrated the end of the month of Ramadan, when practicing Muslims fast for an entire month from sunup till sundown. The festival lasts for three days and typically marked by major feasts, gifts, prayer, and is a point of major celebration. Eid al-Ada, is a "festival of the sacrifice" that celebrated the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the most holy city in Islam that millions travel to each year. During the festival, there is an emphasis on prayer as well as a sacrifice of an animal that's meat is given to family, friends, and the poor. The celebration puts an emphasis on giving and faith, and is celebrated on the 10th day if the Islamic calendar month "Dhu al-Hijjah"

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Acar, Ismail. “Holidays and Muslim Americans.” World Religions, 2022, https://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/22?articleId=198807&q=eid%20al%20fitr. Accessed 31 July 2025.

Adkins, Lesley. “Hagia Sophia.” World Religions, 1995, https://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/22?articleId=220292&q=hagia%20sophia. Accessed 31 July 2025.

Belliel, Katie. “Turkey, 1950–Present.” Modern World History, 2016, https://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/3?articleId=243953&q=government%20of%20turkey. Accessed 31 July 2025.

“Hagia Sophia | History, Architecture, Mosaics, Facts, & Significance.” Britannica, 7 July 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hagia-Sophia. Accessed 31 July 2025.

“Turkey: Government >> globalEDGE: Your source for Global Business Knowledge.” globalEDGE, https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/turkey/government. Accessed 31 July 2025.

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Some of the first Muslims to arrive in Turkey were the Seljuk Turks, who migrated to the region around the 11th century. The final push that caused the primarily-Catholic region to shift to Islam was the fall of Constantinople in 1453, when the Ottoman Empire took control of the region and changed Constantinople to Istanbul. Nearly five centuries of Ottoman control of the region solidified Islam's standing in Turkey.

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Turkey is a primarly Sunni stat; roughly 75% of its Muslim population aligns with Sunni teaching. The remaining 25% are Shi'a, mainly following the Alevi faith.