Turkey Converts Another Ancient Church Into A Mosque

Byzantine Chora Church was turned into a mosque back in 2020, but in 2024, after undergoing several structural changes it is now formally opened for prayers.
Byzantine Chora Church
Image: Gryffindor/Wikimedia
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Turkey converted the ancient Byzantine Chora Church into a mosque.
  • Like the previous conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque in 2020.
  • Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, stirring controversy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally inaugurated a Byzantine church located in the heart of Istanbul as a Mosque on Monday, May 6th, 2024.

The Church of St. Saviour in Chora (also known as Kariya in Turkish) into a mosque back in 2020, right after it, the Turkish authorities turned Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.

Both sites are listed as United Nations’ World Heritage Sites, and both conversion to Mosque drew praise from the Muslim community.

Just like Hagia Sophia was a church for centuries, and Chora had operated as a museum for decades. Chora was launched as a mosque in 2020 but had to undergo some changes to make it an operational one.

Erdogan on Monday attended the ceremony of the opening of Chora as a mosque.

The Church dates back to the 11th to 12th century but was transformed into a museum in 1945.

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