| Kariye Mosque | |
|---|---|
 2024 Perspective view | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Greek Orthodox Church (before 1500), Sunni Islam (1500–1945, 2020–present), Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey (1924–1945, 2020–present) |
| Status | Mosque (since 2020) |
| Location | |
| Location | Istanbul, Turkey |
  Location within the Fatih district of Istanbul | |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°01′52″N 28°56′21″E / 41.03122°N 28.93903°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Byzantine architecture, Ottoman architecture, Islamic |
| Minaret(s) | 2 |
The Chora Church or Kariye Mosque (Turkish: Kariye Camii) is a former church, now converted to a mosque (for the second time), in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of Fatih district, Istanbul, Turkey. It is mainly famous for its outstanding Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos.
The building is an example of Byzantine architecture. In the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, it was converted into a mosque; it became a museum in 1945, and was turned back into a mosque in 2020 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[1][2] The interior of the building is covered with some of the finest surviving Byzantine Christian mosaics and frescoes, which were left in plain sight during Muslim worship throughout much of the Ottoman era.[3] They were restored after the building was secularized and turned into a museum.
The neighborhood is situated in the western part of the municipality of Fatih district.
- ^ Casper, Jayson (21 August 2020). "Turkey Turns Another Historic Church into a Mosque". Christianity Today. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ "Turkey converts Kariye Museum into mosque". Hürriyet Daily News. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ "Has Turkey halted plans to turn Chora museum into a mosque?". 11 January 2021.