Throughout history, many Byzantine churches have been turned into mosques.
Constantinople, after being taken by the Ottomans, began to experience a great transformation. Thus, the Islamic population increased in a short time and Christians, who did not want to remain under the control of Islamists started to move to other destinations, mainly to the Balkan countries. Nonetheless, many of them convert to Islam.
Even though most of the churches were kept as Christian churches, over time, 20 of them were turned into mosques for Muslims.
Among them, a highlight is the basilica of Hagia Sophia, which was the first that was transformed into a mosque the day after the ‘conquest’, because of its symbolic value that represented the highest point of the power of the Byzantines.
The church of Chora was the second that was also transformed into a mosque. Its transformation took place in the 16th century because it had no longer a Christian in the neighborhood. Today, these two are not acting as a mosque but the other 18 are being used by Muslims as a temple and are visited 5 times a day according to the pillars of religion, and 112 of them continue today as churches. That is why, still in Istanbul, we can see these historic Byzantine churches serving Orthodox or Catholics.
We offer a tour passing through all the 20 churches that have been transformed into a mosque.
Ayasofya müzesi : https://www.ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/
Kariye müzesi : https://kariye.muze.gov.tr/
Koca mustafa paşa camii : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koca_Mustafa_Pasha_Mosque
Fethiye camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pammakaristos_Church
Fenari isa camii : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenari_Isa_Mosque
Eski imaret camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eski_Imaret_Mosque
Zeyrek camii : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeyrek_Mosque
Atik mustafa paşa camii :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atik_Mustafa_Pasha_Mosque
Vefa kilise camii : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vefa_Kilise_Mosque
Gül camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCl_Mosque
Kalenderhane camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalenderhane_Mosque
Imrahor camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastery_of_Stoudios
Hırami ahmet paşa mescidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirami_Ahmet_Pasha_Mosque
Küçük ayasofya camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hagia_Sophia
Isakapı mescidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ese_Kapi_Mosque
Kefeli mescidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefeli_Mosque
Sancaktarmescidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancaktar_Hayrettin_Mosque
Manastır mescidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manast%C4%B1r_Mosque,_Istanbul
Bodrum camii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodrum_Mosque
Arap camii :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arap_Mosque
How can Guide in Turkey help me?
If you want to visit these churches, book a tour with us and we will take you to these places. Send an email stating the date you want to take this tour.