Historic Mosque in Istanbul Opens for Worship after Restoration

IQNA – A historic mosque in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, was opened to worship on Monday.

The Kariye Mosque, owned by the General Directorate of Foundations of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and reconverted into a mosque from being a museum by a Presidential Decree dated Aug. 21, 2020, opened for worship in a ceremony.

The collective opening ceremony of 201 works restored by the General Directorate of Foundations took place at the Presidential Beştepe Congress and Culture Center with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's participation in the Foundation Week celebrations.

Among the 33 works opened in Istanbul during the event were the Kariye Mosque.

Erdogan officially opened the mosque through a live connection.

Originally built as a church and later converted into a mosque during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II by Grand Vizier Hadım Ali Pasha (Atik Ali Pasha), the building was turned into a museum under the Museum Administration in 1948. However, it regained its status as a mosque with a Presidential Decree on Aug.1, 2020. After this decision, the mosque's restoration began and has now been completed after four years.

The Kariye Mosque’s restoration was completed after four years.

Source: dailysabah.com