Chora was constructed as a monastery in 534 during the Byzantine period. In 1511 – after the city was taken over by the Ottomans- it was converted into a mosque. In 1945 it was converted into a museum by a Council of Ministers decree. Following Aya Sofya (Haghia Sophia), Chora was also transferred to the Religious Affairs Administration and converted into a mosque last week creating a vast reaction.
TRT2 has removed from its YouTube page a documentary about the Chora Museum. Episode 29 on the Chora Museum of the 44-episode show Star Museums which promotes museums in Turkey can no longer be viewed via TRT2’s website or YouTube page.
Before they removed the documentary, TRT2 website had introduced the Chore Museum as follows: “A masterpiece gilded on Istanbul’s cultural history of thousands of years. A shrine of culture which has survived since the third century which makes its mark in World art history with its architecture, frescoes, and mosaics”.