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When did Hagia Sophia begin functioning as a museum?
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Hagia Sophia
A bird's-eye view of Hagia Sophia on the shore of the Bosporus, Istanbul.
The Hagia Sophia began functioning as a museum in 1935.12
This followed a 1934 decision by the Turkish Republic’s first president, Kemal Atatürk, to secularize the building. It served in this capacity until 2020, when it was converted back into a mosque.12