- Turkey formally reopened Istanbul’s Chora Church as a mosque in 2024
- The Byzantine church was first converted to a mosque in the 16th century
- It became a museum in 1945 after restoration
- Its famous mosaics and frescoes will be covered during Muslim prayers
Turkey has formally reopened the Chora Church in Istanbul as a mosque, Religion Unplugged reported on May 7, 2024, in a report by Clemente Lisi.
The church, a UN World Heritage Site, contains “some of the finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes” depicting the lives of Jesus and Mary. It was converted to a mosque in the 16th century under Ottoman rule, became a museum in 1945 after restoration, and was designated a Muslim place of worship by the government in 2020. The artwork will be covered with sheets during Muslim prayers, as at Hagia Sophia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “This mosque, which was converted into a museum, underwent renovation and restoration efforts, supported by our institutions.” The conversion followed the 2020 reconversion of Hagia Sophia and drew criticism from Christians around the world.
The change shows how the use of a historic church building can shift with political decisions, even centuries after it was built.
Some Jamaican church buildings have passed into other uses when congregations closed or moved. The Chora case is a reminder that once a church building leaves church ownership, its future use is out of the church’s hands. Denominations selling or transferring historic buildings can set covenants on how they may be used.
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