Thousands of Muslim Turks gather in front of Hagia Sophia demanding to pray inside

Thousands of fanatic muslim Turks gathered outside the Hagia Sophia Church demanding it open for Muslim prayers, Saturday night. The protest, organised by a group calling itself ‘Young of Anatolia’, took place on the day commemorating the fall of Constantinople, which is expected to be celebrated in pompous style by the Erdogan government. The crowd chanted ‘break the chains, open the Hagia Sophia’, while prostrating in prayers in front of the historic building. The group claims it has gathered 15 million signatures throughout Turkey calling for the transformation of the structure into a Muslim mosque. Hagia Sophia, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site,  was originally built as a Christian Church by Roman Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, before the Ottomans turned it into a mosque after conquering Constantinople. The building was finally transformed into a museum in 1935.