Turkey Converts Another Former Church into Mosque

Muslims gather for evening prayers in front of the Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya, after a court decision that paves the way for it to be converted from a museum back into a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Muslims gather for evening prayers in front of the Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya, after a court decision that paves the way for it to be converted from a museum back into a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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Turkey Converts Another Former Church into Mosque

Muslims gather for evening prayers in front of the Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya, after a court decision that paves the way for it to be converted from a museum back into a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Muslims gather for evening prayers in front of the Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya, after a court decision that paves the way for it to be converted from a museum back into a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday ordered another ancient Orthodox church that became a mosque and then a popular Istanbul museum to be turned back into a place of Muslim worship.

The decision to transform the Kariye Museum into a mosque came just a month after a similarly controversial conversion for the UNESCO World Heritage-recognized Hagia Sophia.

The 1,000-year-old building's history closely mirrors that of the Hagia Sophia -- its bigger neighbor on the historic western bank of the Golden Horn on the European side of Istanbul.

The Holy Savior in Chora was a medieval Byzantine church decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement that remain treasured in the Christian world.

It was originally converted into the Kariye Mosque half a century after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks.

It became the Kariye Museum after World War II as Turkey pushed ahead with the creation of a more secular new republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

A group of American art historians then helped restore the original church's mosaics and opened them up for public display in 1958.

But Erdogan has in the past few years placed a greater emphasis on the battles that resulted in the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans.

Turkey's top administrative court approved the museum's conversion into a mosque in November.

An AFP reporter who visited the site shortly after Erdogan's decree was published said the museum remained open to visitors -- unlike the Hagia Sophia which was shut for conversion right away.



Puppies Rescued from Flood-Stricken Texas Arrive at Chicago Shelter

 A couple watches a storm passes in the distance, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP)
A couple watches a storm passes in the distance, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP)
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Puppies Rescued from Flood-Stricken Texas Arrive at Chicago Shelter

 A couple watches a storm passes in the distance, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP)
A couple watches a storm passes in the distance, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP)

Nine puppies from parts of Texas submerged by catastrophic flooding that killed at least 132 people arrived Wednesday at the no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago, joining dozens of puppies that had already arrived.

The critters landed by plane at Waukesha Airport in Wisconsin then made a three-hour journey by van to Chicago.

This is the second batch of pets to arrive in Chicago from Texas. The group Austin Pets Alive!, which has been on the ground in the flood-stricken region since the flooding began, has coordinated the effort with PAWS Chicago.

The animals were in shelters in Texas before the floods began. Organizers say the transfers help those shelters focus on rescuing and reunifying animals separated from their humans by the disaster.

"We’re really happy to be able to support the area by freeing up really needed space in their shelters so they are able to open their shelters to displaced pets," said Celene Mielcarek, PAWS Chicago head of program operations.

PAWS Chicago’s disaster relief program began in 2005 when the organization took in more than 200 pets in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, according to the shelter. Since then, PAWS has rescued pets from areas impacted by Hurricane Helene last year and rescued 33 dogs from Houston shelters after storms in 2023.

Peter Brown, a PAWS volunteer who drove to collect the dogs in Waukesha, said they were anxious on the trip but settled in quickly. He is hopeful the dogs will be quickly adopted.

"They’ll find good homes here," he said. "And then some family who lost their dog in the floods will get it back."

On Monday night, 22 dogs arrived in Chicago from Concho Valley PAWS, a rescue organization in San Angelo, Texas. A total of 31 dogs, ranging from six weeks old to adult dogs, have been relocated to Chicago.

The dogs began receiving medical attention immediately after arriving at PAWS, including being vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered. They may be ready for adoption and fostering within a few days, according to PAWS.

But for now, they'll get some well-deserved rest, Mielcarek said.

"They’re all pretty tired," she said. "They’re all ready for their dinner."