Fethiye Mosque

The excavations conducted by the Culture and Tourism Ministry's General Directorate of Foundations in the Fethiye Mosque — built in Istanbul's Fatih district in the 13th century and converted from a church to a mosque in the 16th century — have come to an end.

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.

The Ministry of Culture presents an exhibition of photographs taken by professional and amateur German photographers during the Nazi occupation of Greece in 1941-44. Belonging to Vyronas Mitos and mostly comprising shots of Athens, the collection sheds light on the Nazi propaganda machine.

A view of the archaeological site of the Roma Agora in central Athens where restoration work was completed last week on the 17th century Fethiye Mosque. The building is now accessible to the public. It was built around 1670 on the ruins of a Christian basilica dating to the 8th or 9th century and was considered an important architectural monument.

By Panagiotis Karampelas*

The Fethiye Mosque (Gr.: Φετιχιέ τζαμί) is located in Athens right under the Acropolis. After being used a storage for local ancient artifacts and fragments, it was decided by the Greek Ministry of Culture back in 2010 that it should be renovated and to be used for various cultural activities and of course be open to visitors.

The Ottoman-era’s Fethiye Mosque that is located in the middle of the Roman Agora in central Athens will open to tourists and visitors by November at the latest, after going through extensive restoration, according to the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities.

Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens addressed a letter to Culture Minister Aristidis Baltas, called for the Greek government to extend its plans for the restoration of former Fethiye mosque in Athens’ Monastiraki area with the simultaneous restoration of a pre-existing Orthodox Church on which the mosque was built.

President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has reportedly expressed Turkey's readiness to re-open the Halki Seminary in the Adalar district of Istanbul in return for Greece allowing a mosque to function in Thessaloniki.