Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers at Hagia Sophia on Friday for the first prayers in 86 years, after declaring the monument, revered by Christians and Muslims for almost 1,500 years, a mosque once again.

Erdogan and his top ministers, wearing white face masks as a precaution against COVID-19, knelt on blue carpets at the start of a ceremony which marks the return of Muslim worship to the ancient structure.

Officials have said the Christian frescoes and glittering mosaics adorning the cavernous dome and central hall will be concealed during Muslim prayer times, but remain on display for the rest of the time.

An imam began the formal prayer service at 1:45 pm (1045 GMT) after Erdogan read out a Koranic recitation and the call to prayer rang out from the mosque's minarets.

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