President Recept Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree on Friday morning that converts another historical Byzantine church in Istanbul into a mosque. After Hagia Sophia, the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora will also open for Islamic prayers and lose its status as a museum.
The church in Chora is also registered as UNESCO World Heritage site.
The change in Chora’s status was passed in November 2019 but the decision of the State Council of Turkey had not been implemented, until today.
Chora, which had been turned into the Kariye Museum after WWII and was then extensively restored, is covered with some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes.
Originally built in the 4th century, the church was comprehensively rebuilt around 1077-81 and again after a partial collapse following an earthquake early in the 12th century.
