After the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, the Turkish Government, unfortunately, proceeded with another infamous act, turning the Monastery of Chora into a mosque as well.

The famous Monastery of Chora (Turkish: Kariye Camii or Kariye Müzesi), was a Greek Christian monastery in Constantinople from the 6th century, which was converted by the Ottomans into a mosque in the 16th century. In 1958 it was run as a museum and now it was turned into a mosque again.

The Monastery of Chora is a unique monument in which famous mosaics and magnificent frescoes are preserved, one of the most important samples of Byzantine art in the world. The fresco of the Resurrection of Christ, that is the descent of Christ into Hades, which can be seen in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Seoul, it is a copy of the fresco of the Monastery of Chora.

We strongly condemn the decision to turn the Monastery of Chora into a mosque, as an act of disrespect on the part of Turkey, towards the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the world cultural heritage.