Turkey: Erdogan formally converts another Byzantine-era church into mosque
The plans to reopen the Chora and Haghia Sophia as mosques were perceived as attempts to fortify Erdogan’s ruling party’s base of religious and conservative support in the midst of a financial crisis Image Courtesy Reuters
Four years after his government declared it a Muslim house of prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially inaugurated an ancient Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, drawing protest from Greece, a neighboring country.
2020 saw Turkey formally transform the Church of St. Saviour in Chora, also known as Kariye in Turkish, into a mosque. Shortly after, it also transformed Istanbul’s famous Haghia Sophia into a place of prayer for Muslims.
Both conversions drew praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries who had urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments. Both have been included on the U.N. World Heritage List.
Similar to Haghia Sophia, which served as a church for several centuries before becoming a mosque for much longer, the Chora was in operation as a museum for several decades prior to being given the order to become a mosque. However, the Chora’s official opening as a mosque was postponed while the building underwent repairs.
Erdogan presided over a ceremony on Monday from a conference center at his Ankara palace complex, remotely celebrating the opening of the Chora and other freshly renovated buildings.
“May it bring good fortune,” Erdogan said during the televised event.
The church is renowned for its intricate frescoes and mosaics and is located close to Istanbul’s historic city walls. Although the current shape of the building was adopted in the 11th and 12th centuries, the structure dates back to the 4th century.
Under Ottoman administration, the building was used as a mosque. In 1945, it was converted into a museum.
Greece had denounced the plan by the Turkish government to revert it to a mosque, alleging that Ankara was “insulting the character” of yet another World Heritage Site.
The plans to reopen the Chora and Haghia Sophia as mosques were perceived as attempts to fortify Erdogan’s ruling party’s base of religious and conservative support in the midst of a financial crisis.