esplanade \ ˈe-splə-ˌnäd , ˌe-splə-ˈnäd \ noun_________The word esplanade has appeared in 26 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 7 in “Erdogan Signs Decree Allowing Hagia Sophia to Be Used as a Mosque Again” by Carlotta Gall:ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree Friday ordering Hagia Sophia to be opened for Muslim prayers, an action likely to provoke international furor around a World Heritage Site cherished by Christians and Muslims alike for its religious significance, for its stunning structure and as a symbol of conquest. Entry to the monument would be free of charge, foregoing the ticket price from several million visitors a year, and the first prayers inside Hagia Sophia will take place on July 24. Just before he spoke, several hundred people gathered outside Hagia Sophia to celebrate a prayer of thanksgiving, recording the call of the muezzin on their phones, and then bent in unison for the evening prayer on the esplanade in front of the building.

Source: International New York Times September 14, 2020 06:00 UTC