Istanbul's historic Kariye Mosque in Istanbul reopened for worship

Kariye Mosque, also known as Chora, was made into a museum after World War II, but had been a mosque for centuries before that

By Mehmet Yusuf Melikoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - After being used as a museum for almost 80 years, Istanbul’s historic Kariye Mosque reopened for worship again on Monday.

"79 years later, Kariye Mosque was restored by our Foundations General Directorate and reopened for worship,” Safi Arpagus, the mufti of Istanbul, said at the opening ceremony.

The mosque, which became a museum after World War II, was renovated with the efforts and support of foundations, he added.

Kariye Mosque, also known as Chora, is owned by the Foundations General Directorate of Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry. It was returned to its mosque status by a 2020 presidential decree.

Originally built in the fourth century in the Byzantine era, with architectural changes over the centuries, it became a mosque in the 16th century, after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul.

Under the Republic of Türkiye, it was turned into a museum under the Museum Administration in 1948, but under the 2020 presidential decree, it was restored to return to its historic mosque status.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

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