The conversion of the Chora Church to a mosque, following several years after the conversion of Hagia Sophia, is yet another declaration of Islamic supremacism. Erdogan is signaling the victory of Islam and its supremacy not only over Christianity, although that is certainly part of what he is doing, but also over Ataturk’s secularism. Ataturk made Hagia Sophia and the Chora church into museums. Now Erdogan has made them mosques again. Islam is thus shown to be superior to Turkish secularism, the definitive end of which is at hand.
Also noteworthy is the fact that during the Ground Zero Mosque controversy, we were denounced all over the establishment media for saying that the mosque at Ground Zero would be regarded as a triumphal mosque. There was no such thing as a triumphal mosque, we were told. Of course there isn’t.
“Turkey revives plan to convert another iconic Byzantine site into a mosque,” by Manolis Kostidis, Ekathimerini, February 6, 2024:
Authorities in Turkey are moving ahead with the conversion of another important Byzantine monument, the Chora Church, into a mosque, with plans to open it to Muslim worshippers for Friday prayers on February 23, the Yeni Safak newspaper has reported.
The plan to convert the church, which had been operating as a museum for nearly 80 years, dates from 2020, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree that also included turning the iconic Hagia Sophia church into a mosque.
While Hagia Sophia was inaugurated as a mosque in July of that same year, the Chora Church scheme was put on hold so that restoration work could be carried out….
Chora Church, or Church of the Holy Savior, is another emblematic monument listed among the masterpieces of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
It was originally built in the early 4th century as part of a monastery complex, outside the Constantinian land wall. It was rebuilt in the 11th century to take the form of an inscribed cross, while the church suffered a partial collapse in the 12th century, possibly from an earthquake. The present structure dates mostly from the 14th century.
“Its mosaics and frescoes, commissioned by the Byzantine humanist and poet Theodore Metochites (14th century) form one of the most complete ensembles of late Byzantine art to survive in Istanbul,” according to UNESCO.
Chora Church was the first to be looted when the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and was converted into a mosque under Sultan Bayezid II in the early 16th century, when it was renamed Kariye Camii and a minaret was added to the structure.
The building was designated a museum by the Turkish government in 1945.
Masha Berg says
where is the international outrage??????
Spiro says
There will be outrage until Christians take their religion as seriously as they should
Or as seriously as the Muslims do
This would be much better world of Christians would regain their faith
Spiro says
Their history is one of painting over such icons
I would expect them to follow suite
Muslims really don’t care what anyone else thinks
Spiro says
There will be NO
outrage
I need to Prof read
andy says
Absolutly Spiro. Christians must. And rest of the non muslims of the world must realize and unite. But if you project supremacy the problem will not go away. Just be humble servant of Jesus and do not promote proletization or hard core evangelism like the mentally unstables Muslims do.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
The Kariye Djami, as the Turks call it, is even more beautiful than the Hagia Sophia. Its frescoes have been left mostly intact. If the Turks turn it into a mosque, will they cover those frescoes? If they do, will Christians want to visit it? Turkey seems determined to make itself ever less attractive to non-Muslim tourists.
Constance says
And the rest of the world, especially all of Western Nations ought to STOP TOURISM !!! Eurgo is a Monster, wanna be Mullah
End PC says
Indeed, Runciman points out in his “The Fall Of Constantinople, 1453” that
“The mosaics and frescoes of the early fourteenth century in the Church of the Chora at Constantinople show a vigour, a freshness and a beauty that make Italian work of the period look primitive and crude.”
It’s a d@mn shame that the Muslims have this beautiful church for whom such art is stupidly forbidden. Hope they do no damage to it.
Spiro says
Their history is one of painting over such icons
I would expect them to follow suite
Muslims really don’t care what anyone else thinks
Nancy Albert says
The depiction of any living thing is not allowed in Islam, so you are probably right. What a soul-crushing existence!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Well, might is right. One more reason why I support Hindus reclaiming all 40,000 temples in India that were demolished to construct mosques. Not just the 3 that are actively demanded
Sanatani American says
Getting rid of the waqf board and establishing the universal civil code across the nation would be a great start.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Not Universal Civil Code, but getting rid of the Waqf Act and the Places of Worship Act – those 2 are needed
Uniform Civil Code is something that’s more likely to boomerang on Hindus than on muslims. But yeah, make 21 the minimum marriage age for everyone, and ban polygamy period! Beyond that, all communities – including Hindus – can have their own civil laws
FYI says
The Byzantine church is dedicated to the One who is appointed the Judge in Christendom.
The muslims “pray” to allah whose greatest enemy is a MAN called the “king of kings”{Sahih Muslim vol 5 hadith #5611}in a church STOLEN from the One who will judge their corrupted souls.
So muslims “pray” to antiChrist :allah is the god of 2 Corinthians 4;4
allah is NOT the Biblical God.
{Let me just check the Apocalypse again to see who loses.Oh.Yeah That’s right.The followers of the antiChrist lose in spectacular fashion..Jesus wins.
The muslims don’t get it}
I do laugh at the foolishness and blindness of the muslims..I must..I will..
James Lincoln says
Turkey: a member of NATO…
John1 says
To the victor goes the spoils…. Now a days Muslims only. It would be nice if Israel threatened to turn that gold domed mosque in Jerusalem into a museum or Synagogue. If you attack another country to take their land and win, you take their land. If you lose, the victor gets to take your land. Muslims attack and win, they take the land and subjugate the people. When they attack and lose they demand to go back to prewar borders.
GE says
Everything I read about Turkey almost makes my eyes bleed.
I recently picked up a book called “Secret Nation:
The Hidden Armenians of Turkey” by Avedis Hodjian
to see if I could find information on the area where the Armenians in my family came from. To this day, ethnic minorities are discriminated against—the Civil Registry in 2013 used secret codes to mark the origin of its minorities. One more way to keep Turkey for the Turks and keeping others from climbing echelons of power.
Well into the 1980s Kurds were driving Armenians and descendants of those that survived the genocide and returned to their ancient villages out of the area.
The desecration of Chora Church by turning it into a mosque and adding those disgusting minarets is just one more in your face display of their perceived Islamic supremacy.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Everything Israel is accused of being – stolen land from its original inhabitants – happens to be true about Turkey, not Israel! The Turks there belong to Turkmenistan, if their proper history were to be acknowledged. Descendants of the Seljuqs
GE says
Everything I read about Turkey almost makes my eyes bleed.
I recently picked up a book called “Secret Nation:
The Hidden Armenians of Turkey” by Avedis Hodjian
to see if I could find information on the area where the Armenians in my family came from. To this day, ethnic minorities are discriminated against—the Civil Registry in 2013 used secret codes to mark the origin of its minorities. One more way to keep Turkey for the Turks and keeping others from climbing echelons of power.
Well into the 1980s Kurds were driving Armenians and descendants of those that survived the genocide and returned to their ancient villages out of the area.
The desecration of Chora Church by turning it into a mosque and adding those disgusting minarets is just one more in your face display of their perceived Islamic supremacy.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Another example of why Turkey should never be allowed membership into the E.U. BOYCOTT ALL MUSLIM COUNTRIES. THEY ARE CESSPOOLS OF HATRED. Another Christian Church being molested by followers of the mass murdering child rapist.
OLD GUY says
Turkey is headed down a dangerous slope whit their current leader Erdogan is a tyrant of the worse kind.