https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1...-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, 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.
The conversion of Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a powerful symbol for the world’s Orthodox Christians, sparked an international outcry and caused an additional strain in tense ties between Athens and Ankara.
Chora Church, or Church of the Holy Savior, is another emblematic monument listed among the masterpieces of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.