The mass opening ceremony of 201 works restored by the General Directorate of Foundations took place today at the Presidential Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As part of the Foundation Week celebration program, a live connection was made to Kariye Mosque, which is among the 33 works to be opened in Istanbul. With the connection to be made by President Erdoğan, the opening of the mosque took place.
Kariye Mosque is reopening. The restoration of the structure that has survived from the Byzantine period to the present day has been completed. The mosque was filmed with a drone today. In the footage, the new appearance that the mosque acquired after restoration in Fatih Edirnekapı stands out. The aerial view of the mosque in the footage shows the green areas around it.
Built as a church for many years after its construction, the structure was converted into a mosque by Grand Vizier Hadım Ali Pasha (Atik Ali Pasha) during the era of Bayezid II. The Kariye Mosque, which was connected to the Museums Directorate in 1948 and turned into a museum, became a mosque again with the Presidential Decree dated August 1, 2020. The restoration work in the mosque, which started after this decision, was completed 4 years later.
The General Directorate of Foundations has completed the restoration of 201 works with a mass opening ceremony held at the Presidential Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center. As part of the Foundation Week celebration program, a live connection was made to Kariye Mosque, one of the 33 works to be opened in Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the ceremony and made the connection for the opening of the mosque.
The long-standing structure, which served as a church after its construction before being converted into a mosque during the era of Bayezid II, has undergone restoration and now stands as a newly reopened mosque. The drone footage of Kariye Mosque captured its new appearance in Fatih Edirnekapı, showing the green surroundings of the mosque. This restoration project, which took 4 years to complete, marks the return of Kariye Mosque to its original purpose after being converted to a museum in 1948.
With the completion of the restoration work on Kariye Mosque, the structure has regained its original purpose as a place of worship, transitioning from being a museum back to a mosque. The success of this restoration project was celebrated with a mass opening ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center. The live connection to the opening of Kariye Mosque during the ceremony highlighted the importance of preserving historical and cultural heritage sites for future generations.
