Turkey: major Byzantine monastery to become mosque
December 03, 2013
What was once the largest Byzantine monastery in Istanbul will become a mosque in 2014, a leading Turkish newspaper reported.
The Monastery of Stoudios, founded in 462, was destroyed by Crusaders in 1204, rebuilt in 1290, and largely destroyed by Ottoman Turks in 1453. In time, the monastery became a mosque and has been a museum since 1946, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
The report came less than a week after Turkey’s deputy prime minister said that the famed Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul should again become a mosque.
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Further information:
- Istanbul monastery to become mosque (Hurriyet Daily News)
- Monastery of Stoudios (Wikipedia)
- Turkish official wants Hagia Sophia to become mosque; Greece reacts sharply (CWN, 11/21)
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