Istanbul, October 29, 2020
Following the reconversion of the famous Agia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul into a mosque in July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also ordered the reconversion of the famous Chora Church into a mosque in August.
Now, the landmark, richly decorated in beautiful Orthodox frescoes and mosaics, is being prepared for Muslim prayer services. The first was originally planned to be held tomorrow, with the participation of President Erdoğan, though its postponement was announced today.
Pictures posted online show that the preparations include the concealment of the frescoes and mosaics that are treasured by the international community. Among them is the icon of the Resurrection of Christ, known to all Orthodox Christians:
Photo: wikimedia.org
To hide all traces of Orthodoxy, a drop ceiling has been installed and the iconography has been covered with plasterboard and white cloths, leaving only barren walls resembling an unfinished building.
Carpets have also been laid, the imam’s pulpit has been installed, and shelves have been built at the entrance to the church where Muslims can leave their shoes, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
Fr. Nikolai Balashov, the Deputy Head of the Russian Church’s Department for External Church Relations, referred to the changes as “the horror of modern barbarism,” and a “woe to Orthodox Christians.”
“The surviving vivid evidence of what Constantinople was, the Queen and Mother of cities, is being buried before our eyes, departing into darkness…” Fr. Nikolai reflects.
“Let he who sees understand,” he writes.
