Her writings have appeared in various outlets such as the Gatestone Institute, Washington Times, Christian Post and Jerusalem Post. Last year, the Council of State ruled that the Chora Church building in Istanbul was endowed as a mosque under special legal circumstances during the Ottoman Empire, and that it … Turkey has ordered the re-conversion of Istanbul’s Chora church, also known as the Kariye Museum, which has served as a museum since 1945, into a mosque and opened it to Islamic worship, according to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Friday 21 August 2020. Such was the case, for example, with the exceptionally beautiful church of Ephesus, where now the worship prescribed by Muhammad was celebrated. It was widely practised in the times of conquest and throughout the Ottoman period and thus most of the truly superb Byzantine churches were converted into mosques and suffered serious damages. Hence, the Ottomans formally dedicated their greatest, most celebrated single piece of loot — Hagia Sophia — as Great Fatih Mosque, or ‘Great Conquest Mosque.'”. Muslim ruler Hadim Ali Pasha converted the church to a mosque between 1495–1511, adding a mihrab (a niche that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, facing which Muslims are required to pray) in the main apse and replacing the belfry with a minaret. The original structure was built by the Holy Theodus in 534 in the reign of Justinian. This journey took place during the summer of 1333, that is to say, a short time after the campaigns undertaken by Orkhan to seize Brousse and Nicea. It is known that there was a chapel outside of the city before the 5th century when the city walls were erected. By that area, I mean the Middle East or other parts outside of the Middle East which are now Muslim. Crosses were demolished and exchanged for crescents, altars and bells were destroyed, icons were burned or hacked to pieces, mosaics and frescoes depicting Christian imagery were plastered over, and most of the cathedral’s priests were killed or enslaved. The church served as a mosque during the Ottoman Empire before it was turned into a museum in 1945. the deportations of the remaining Greeks in 1964, Turkey violates Greek airspace 40 times in a single day, Turkish Deputy FM demands mosque be opened in Thessaloniki, New lighting of the Acropolis wins 3 international awards, Priest in Halkidiki wants to ban masks, vaccinated people from Church, Forbes ranks Greek AI startup ‘Intelligencia’ among most promising. A church was first built at the site in the 4th century, but most of the existing building dates to an 11th century church that was partly rebuilt 200 years later following an earthquake. Hence, the larger problem here is that Turkish authorities appear to think that the original function of the former churches/museums was to serve as mosques. In 1958 after its frescoes were uncovered and restored it reopened as a museum. And Isaac was a Muslim, and Jesus was a Muslim.’ This is what they mean by the Islamization of history.”. Kariye mosque - Chora church. A view of the ceiling of the Chora or Kariye Museum, formally the Church of the Holy Saviour, a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church, decorated with 14th-century frescoes of … Like the Hagia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, the historic Chora church had operated as a museum for decades before Erdogan ordered it … The Church of Chora is covered with some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. The mediaeval Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, built near the ancient city walls of Constantinople, contains 14th century Byzantine mosaics and frescoes showing scenes from biblical stories. And therefore, there is no Islamic occupation. On May 29, Ottoman soldiers found their way to Chora and hacked the icon to pieces. Chora Church: A Medieval Masterpiece. In 1511, it was converted into a Mosque by Atik Ali Pasha, the grand vizier of Bayezid II. The stunning mosaics of Istanbul’s 1,000-year-old Chora Church are at risk—not from vandalism or theft but a legal order to transform the museum back into a mosque. The Chora church in Istanbul, home to some of the most exquisite frescoes of Byzantine period, was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in 1511. The Chora Church, known as Kariye in Turkish, has one of the best examples of Byzantine mosaic art. This sympathy is outside of Islamic doctrine. Aya Sofya and the Chora Museum feature on most tourist itineraries. In 1958 after its frescoes were uncovered and restored it reopened as a museum. It too is now a museum and makes a wonderful showcase for the mosaics and frescoes of 14th century Byzantium. The move was sharply criticised by church leaders and some Western countries, who said that reconverting Hagia Sophia exclusively for Muslim worship risked deepening religious rifts. Turkish President Erdoğan ordered Aug. 21 that Chora Church, a much-visited site in the Fatih district of Istanbul, be turned into a mosque and opened for Muslim worship. The once-populous city of Pergamus, he writes, was ‘in ruins.’ Most of the port of Smyrna had been destroyed. “Batouta’s descriptions show us that the ruination caused by the Turkish invasion was quite considerable and that a certain number of towns had been unable to return to normal or else were still completely destroyed. After Hagia Sophia, the Erdogan government converted another World Heritage Site, the Chora Church (“Church of the Holy Savior in Chora”), into a mosque in Constantinople. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. The Greek Orthodox worship site was rebuilt in the 11 th century and again in the 12 th, following an earthquake.During the 1300s, artwork depicting biblical stories was added throughout the church’s interior. Something similar happened to Chora, near Edirnekapı, which also kicked off as a church before becoming the Kariye Camii (mosque) in the early 16th century. “My personal opinion is that this lack of sympathy for Kafirs is the worst part of Islam. Chora Church which was used as a palace church and a chapel in important religious ceremonies, continued to function as a church for a while. At Hagia Sophia, curtains have been drawn in front of an image facing worshippers of Mary and the infant Jesus. It is known that there was a chapel outside of the city before the 5th century when the city walls were erected. And in the case of Turks, the concept of “conquest” and taking over non-Muslim lands and properties has a deeply rooted cultural and religious meaning. Inspired by this oppressive culture ingrained in many Turks, the Turkish government, a NATO member and a perpetually unsuccessful candidate for European Union membership, continues to randomly violate churches and other non-Muslim places of worship. The first Chora Church was rebuilt by Justinianus (527-565) in place of this chapel. ABOUT Uzay Bulut: Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist and political analyst formerly based in Ankara. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. According to the precedent set by Turkey, the Christian artwork of churches which have been converted into mosques are covered. Erdogan’s edict on Friday did not say when the first Muslim prayers would be held at Chora, or what arrangements would be made for the Christian artworks there. So, if anybody says ‘Look, there is a place connected with Solomon and that is the place where the Temple of Solomon stood,’ a true Muslim would tell you: “Yes, you’re absolutely right. Since 1948, the building has been the Kariye Museum, a popular tourist attraction.”, However, Yeni Safak claims that “The decision by the State Council, which paves the way for the Kariye [Museum] to be a mosque again after 74 years, will be a precedent for Hagia Sophia, which is the subject of constant debate.”. As everyone knows, Batouta visited the territories in Asia Minor that had been conquered by the Turkish emirs. Hagia Sophia (Greek for “Holy Wisdom) was built in the 6th century in Constantinople and remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years until the Ottoman Turks conquered the city and looted it in 1453. The Kariye Museum, however, was originally an Orthodox Church, namely the Chora Church. For centuries, Greeks were either murdered outright or forced to leave their homeland by Turks and their Muslim allies. “Unfortunately, these churches were not given back to their rightful owners – the few remaining Orthodox Christians of the land – during the Kemalist period after the establishment of Turkey in 1923. Chora Church (Kariye Museum) According to Islamic tradition, only God can create images of holy beings, including angels and prophets. According to the official website of Princeton University: “Described by Osterhaut as ‘second in renown only to Hagia Sophia among the Byzantine churches of Istanbul’, Kariye Camii [Mosque] attracts much attention because of its rich mosaics and frescoes. This decision could also pave the way for the conversion of Hagia Sophia, built as a basilica and now a museum, into a mosque, according to a report published on November 5 by the pro-government Turkish newspaper, Yeni Safak. Istanbul’s Church of St. Saviour in Chora, a Byzantine church dating back to the 4th century, was handed to Turkey’s religious authority to be turned into a mosque Friday, the AP reported.. The neighborhood is situated in the western part of the municipality (belediye) of the Fatih district. After Hagia Sophia, the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora will also open for Islamic prayers and lose its status as a museum which it had since 1945. The Kariye Museum, however, was originally an Orthodox Church, namely the Chora Church. However, Turkish authorities still target them – as is the case with the Chora and Hagia Sophia churches/museums. Something similar happened to Chora, near Edirnekapı, which also kicked off as a church before becoming the Kariye Camii (mosque) in the early 16th century. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed an order on Friday morning formally converting the Byzantine-era Chora Church in Istanbul into a mosque… They had to be liberated. The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was originally built in the fourth century, near the city walls of Constantinople. According to the new ruling, the former church is to be converted into a mosque again. The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was originally built in the fourth century, near the city walls of Constantinople. “Through a decision by the Council of Ministers on August 29, 1945, many mosques and masjids, including the Kariye Mosque, were allocated to the Ministry of National Education as museums and museum depots whose maintenance and repair expenses were to be paid from the state budget,” said the newspaper. What Batouta tells us about the transformation of Christian churches into mosques is confirmed, moreover, by Turkish sources (Seadeddin, Nesri, the anonymous chronicles, etc.)”. Dr. Andrew Bostom, the author of the book The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims, points out the continued Turkish tradition of converting churches into mosques since the Turkish invasion of the Greek Byzantine Empire in the eleventh century. Dr. Bostom writes about the destruction that took place during the Turkish conquests of Asia Minor, as seen through the prism of the Arab Muslim traveler, Ibn Batouta, and confirmed by Turkish Muslim chroniclers, cited by the great Bulgarian Islamologist Dimitur Angelov: “One source that is still insufficiently utilized, and which presents a very clear picture of the devastation perpetrated by the Turks in Asia Minor and of the evils endured by the population at the time of the Turkish conquest, is the work of the Arab traveler Ibn Batouta. Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans/Mark Heinrich. The first Chora Church was rebuilt by Justinianus (527-565) in place of this chapel. Yet, several symbols of the magnificent Greek civilization remain in Turkey. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life. Muslim ruler Hadim Ali Pasha converted the church to a mosque between 1495–1511, adding a … Ironically, according to the recent decision by Turkey’s State Council, “The [Kariye] mosque cannot be used outside of its original function.”. Erdogan's edict on Friday did not say when the first Muslim prayers would be held at Chora, or what arrangements would be made for the Christian artworks there. Dr.Vassilios Meichanetsidis, a historian and co-editor of the book The Genocide of the Ottoman Greeks, told the Greek City Times: “The conversion of mosques was a sign of Islamic conquest and supremacy towards the conquered and dhimmi peoples. The Church … The spokesperson for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy of the EU also commented on the decision. Bulut has now also become a contributor for Greek City Times. The Chora church in Istanbul, home to some of the most exquisite frescoes of Byzantine period, was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in 1511. The Church of St. Savior in Chora (Turkish Kariye Müzesi, Kariye Camii, or Kariye Kilisesi — the Chora Museum, Mosque or Church) is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church. And Abraham was a Muslim. The Chora dates back to the sixth-century Byzantine Empire, when it operated as a church. The Greek Orthodox worship site was rebuilt in the 11 th century and again in the 12 th, following an earthquake.During the 1300s, artwork depicting biblical stories was added throughout the church’s interior. “After Hagia Sophia, Turkey’s historic Chora church also switched to mosque,” Reuters, August 21, 2020: ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reconverted the historic Chora church, one of Istanbul’s most celebrated Byzantine buildings, into a mosque on Friday, a month after opening the famed Hagia Sophia to Muslim worship. The Chora Church was first converted into a mosque by the Ottomans, and had become a museum in 1958, but last year the Turkish Supreme Court ruled that it […] If somebody occupies anything, it will always be somebody else, not the Muslims. Sharon says that through this “Islamization of history” there is also an “Islamisation of geography,” such that: “Anywhere which was connected with these people or with these prophets who were all Muslims becomes a Muslim territory. It too is now a museum and makes a wonderful showcase for the mosaics and frescoes of 14th century Byzantium. “Immovables are public property established for direct charitable services such as places of worship, hospitals, and soup kitchens, and the provisions of private property cannot be applied to them. The conquering sultan, Mehmet II, personally oversaw the conversion of Hagia Sophia. During the Ottoman Empire, Christians and Jews became “dhimmis”, second-class subjects of the empire who had to pay the jizya tax for the so-called protection under Muslim domination. A church was first built at the site in the 4th century, but most of the existing building dates to an 11th century church that was partly rebuilt 200 years later following an earthquake. ), and, being an attentive and conscientious observer, he had the opportunity to see and to hear many things. On Friday, an edict signed by Erdogan and published in Turkey’s official gazette declared “the management of the Kariye Mosque be transferred to the Religious Affairs Directorate, and (the mosque) opened to worship.”. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reconverted the historic Chora church, one of Istanbul’s most celebrated Byzantine buildings, into a mosque on Friday, a month after opening the famed Hagia Sophia to Muslim worship. How this will look for the Chora Church is unclear. According to Yeni Safak, the final verdict of the Council of State noted that; “The Kariye mosque… is one of the public immovables belonging to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation. First Hagia Sophia, now Turkey's 'Sistine Chapel of Byzantium' will be turned back into mosque The 14th-century mosaics at Chora Church—which was … Dr. Bill Warner, the president of the Center for the Study of Political Islam (CSPI), notes: “The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. They were plastered over after the city was conquered by the Muslim Ottomans in 1453, but brought to light again when - like Hagia Sophia - the building was converted to a museum by Turkey’s secular republic more than 70 years ago. The Turkish word Kariye is derived from the ancient Greek word Chora meaning outside of the city (land). In the 11th and 12th centuries, it was rebuilt by the Comnenus family and dedicated to Christ (thus the name, Christ in Chora). Nicea, the capital of the Osmanlis Turks, ‘was in ruins and was inhabited only by a very small number of the emir’s subjects.’  In many localities, the Greek population was greatly reduced or had completely disappeared, and the Turks had settled in its place. As was the case with Hagia Sophia, the Chora Church was built for Christian worship, but was turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of then-Constantinople in the 16th century. The church is registered as a UNESCO heritage site. So, there is no Islamic occupation. In Islamic doctrine those Muslims who are true friends with a Kafir are not truly Islamic. Another belief that shapes the Islamic mindset is its false understanding of history and geography. The Kariye Museum, however, was originally an Orthodox Church, namely the Chora Church. The Chora Church, after serving as a mosque for 434 years was converted into a museum by a Council of Minister’s decree in 1945 after the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923. So, Islam appeared in history in the time of Mohammed – or reappeared in history from their point of view – as a liberator. Moshe Sharon, Professor Emeritus of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, explains that the: “basic attitude is that all history is, in fact, Islamic history… that all major figures of history basically are Muslim − from Adam down to our own time. In many ways, the conversions of churches into mosques or museums area part of a genocidal process in which a physical genocide of human beings (Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians/Arameans) has turned into a cultural genocide.”. “Istanbul’s Chora church turned into a mosque. 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