Vatican prepares for papal conclave after Pope Francis' death, closes Sistine Chapel

The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.

Francis was buried on Saturday after a funeral in St. Peter's Square that drew world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others, and a nine-day period of mourning is underway before the conclave begins.

The conclave is expected to take place between May 5 and 10, in accordance with the rules of the Catholic Church.

Those visitors who managed to enter the Sistine Chapel on Sunday considered themselves lucky, as it is not known how long the conclave will last and how long the jewel of the Vatican Museum will remain off-limits to visitors.

"I think we felt very lucky that we were able to be the last group of visitors to come today, our trip wouldn't have been complete without seeing this beautiful place," said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States.

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