Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his disappointment with the Turkish authorities’ decision to convert the Byzantine temple, Chora Monastery, into a mosque (Kariye, in Istanbul), saying it goes against efforts to strengthen mutual understanding.
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Mitsotakis plans to go to Ankara on May 13 following the Turkish President’s visit to Athens in December 2023. Earlier, the Greek prime minister stated that converting a historic Byzantine temple and monastery into a mosque is disrespectful, and he will discuss this matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when they meet in Ankara on Monday.
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“I am very disappointed by the recent decision of the Turkish authorities to turn a Byzantine monastery into a mosque and the previous decision on Hagia Sophia (the world famous mosque in Istanbul, before the fall of the Byzantine Empire was the largest temple in the Christian world). These decisions contradict the joint efforts to strengthen mutual understanding,” Mitsotakis said.
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After four years, the Kariye Mosque in Istanbul (formerly the museum and Christian monastery of Chora) was opened for Muslim services on Monday, May 6, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participating in the ceremony through video link. This marks the first religious service in Karia in 79 years.
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The Church of Christ the Savior in the Fields from the monastery ensemble in Chora is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex was constructed in 534. The structure was transformed into the Kariye Mosque at the beginning of the 16th century.
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Chora Monastery served as a mosque for over four centuries and was turned into a museum in 1945 by ministerial decision. In August 2020, Erdogan issued a decree to convert the Hagia Sophia (Agia Sophia) and the Kariye Museum into mosques and begin Muslim worship there.
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Following the mosque's opening in the church, several Greek politicians urged Mitsotakis to cancel his trip to Turkey.
