Istanbul's Chora Church Reopens as Mosque, Drawing Praise from Muslims and Criticism from Greece

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan formally inaugurated the former Byzantine church as a mosque on Monday, four years after its conversion was announced. The move has drawn praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries.

Turkey has formally opened the former Byzantine church of Chora in Istanbul as a mosque, four years after it was first designated as a Muslim house of prayer. The move has drawn mixed reactions, with Muslim faithful welcoming the conversion but Greece and other countries criticizing the decision.

The Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, was converted into a mosque in 2020, following a similar move with Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia. Both conversions have been praised by Muslim worshippers but met with criticism from Greece and other countries, who have urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments.

Both the Chora and Hagia Sophia are listed as U.N. World Heritage Sites. The Chora had operated as a museum for decades before it was ordered to be converted into a mosque.

The formal opening of the Chora as a mosque has been delayed due to ongoing restoration work. On Monday, President Erdoğan presided over the opening ceremony remotely from a conference hall in his palace complex in Ankara.

The Chora is a historic structure that dates back to the fourth century, although its current form was built in the 11th-12th centuries. It is renowned for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. The church served as a mosque during Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945.

Greece has strongly criticized the decision to convert the Chora back into a mosque, accusing Ankara of "insulting the character" of another World Heritage Site. The move has also drawn criticism from cultural heritage organizations and historians.

The decisions to transform Hagia Sophia and the Chora back into mosques are seen as part of a broader effort by Erdoğan's ruling party to consolidate its conservative and religious support base amid an economic downturn in Turkey.

In 2020, Erdoğan joined hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia in 86 years, brushing aside international criticism and calls for the monument to be kept as a museum. As many as 350,000 people took part in the prayers outside the structure.

The conversion of these historic churches has sparked debates over religious freedom, cultural heritage, and national identity. It remains to be seen how the international community will respond to Turkey's latest move.