Turkey revives proposal to transform another iconic Byzantine site into a mosque

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, ekathimerini 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.

Originally built in the early 4th century, Chora Church, or Church of the Holy Savior, is another emblematic monument listed among the masterpieces of UNESCO’s World Heritage List,