Tragic Destiny Of Christian Sacred Art In Chora Church Of Christ The Savior In Turkey
The iconic Istanbul’s Chora Church is officially converted by Turkish government into a mosque. All Christian Byzantine mosaics and frescoes will now be draped with sheets.
The iconic Byzantine church in Istanbul is reopened as a mosque. Four years ago the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared it an Islamic house of worship. It’s the second Christian church, after Hagia Sophia, which is converted into a Muslim house of prayer.
The destiny of some of the oldest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes is tragic. The church has already been used as a mosque in the 16th century and now the sacred art, which was made for worshiping Jesus Christ, again will be neglected and covered with sheets. The questions remains – how is it possible to cover all sacred images?..