In a significant development, the Byzantine Chora Church, dating back to the fourth century AD, is set to reopen as a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
In a statement, the General Directorate of Foundations on Thursday, February 8, confirms that restoration works are in the final stages, allowing Muslims to offer Namaz within its walls.
It also stated that the opening date will be announced when the works are completed.
The statement added that the reports claiming of Mosque restoration project completed, with carpets laid, and will be opened for worship on February 23, is not true.
The Church of St. Saviour in Chora, also known as “Kariye,” was a mosque during the Ottoman era and was converted into a museum by the Council of Ministers of Turkey on August 2, 1945.
In 2019, a court ruling deemed the building as a museum, paving the way for its conversion into a mosque.
The plan to open the mosque got underway in 2020 when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree to turn the famous Hagia Sophia church into a mosque.
Hagia Sophia was inaugurated as a mosque in July 2020, but the Chora Church scheme was postponed to facilitate restoration work.
