“The carpet is 100% wool, and has a feature that other carpets lack: its fibers are specially-situated to point toward Mecca by using a steam-powered system. There is a 4,000-square-meter area for the carpet, and 2,000 square meters will be laid out for the opening,” said Ali Rıza Özkul, the board chairman of the company producing the carpet.
A court decision earlier this month converted the Hagia Sophia to a mosque, a move heavily championed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).