Ottoman mosques cast historic light in Greek capital

Tracing the history of the Greek capital Athens, we can see not only the sacred rock of the classical Acropolis but a mixture of the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras.

Even though Greece was under Ottoman rule for almost four centuries, few remains of that period are visible now.

But a walk down the historic alleys of central Athens will give amblers a taste of the Ottoman legacy.
Among the most important remnants of the 17th century are two vintage Muslim places of worship located in Athens' historical center, the Fethiye Mosque and the Tzisdaraki Mosque, both now repurposed as exhibition venues.

Fethiye Mosque

Located in the middle of the Roman Agora near the Tower of the Winds, the Fethiye Mosque was built in the second half of the 17th century, reportedly around 1668-1670.

To Greek residents it was known as the Staropazaros (Wheat Market) Mosque, due to its proximity to the grain bazaar (pazari) at the Roman Market.

In a scholarly article on the mosque, Machiel Kiel, a Dutch expert on Ottoman architecture, wrote that the mosque was reportedly built on the ruins of a Christian church.

"The church of the Panaghiatou Staropazarou, or Church of the All Holy (Virgin Mary) of the Wheat Market-stari, here being the local Greek pronunciation of sitari [wheat], and not staro ['old' in Slavic], was said to be a Byzantine building," he wrote, adding that it was converted into a mosque due to a Muslim-Christian clash of faiths.

The mosque was built according to the architectural pattern of "quatrefoil" or "cloverleaf-cross-in-square," as its wide central dome is supported by four smaller domes in a cruciform layout.

According to information from Greek Culture Ministry, inside...