Erdogan turns another church into a mosque

ISTANBUL. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has converted the former Chora Church in Istanbul into a mosque. From now on, the building should be open for Islamic prayer, according to the dpa news agency in a decree published on Friday.

The 6th century church was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1511. The building has been used as a museum since 1945. It is a popular tourist attraction because of its frescoes and mosaics.

It was only in July that the Turkish administrative court revoked the museum status of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. In this case too, Erdoğan turned the former church into a mosque. The Turkish historian Ebubekir Sofuoğlu then demanded the destruction of the Christian mosaics in the building.

Source: Junge Freiheit