The Parthenon is a large temple monument located in the city of Athens. Being one of Greece's most famous attraction, the Parthenon is well-visited by many tourists, and it appears on many post cards, wallpapers and even souvenirs. Despite it's popularity, not everyone knows about the Islamic history behind the Parthenon, which has historical evidence from even non-Muslim sources (unlike the claims of the Afrocentrist movement).
Formerly a pagan or polytheistic Greek temple, the Parthenon was converted into a church in the final years of sixth century AD. The conversion of the Parthenon into a church introduced a new bell tower, built in the classic Frankish style of architecture. In later years, the Duchy of Athens seized the Parthenon, now a cathedral. They turned the Parthenon into a Catholic church for veneration of one of their female saints. The first conversion of the Parthenon into a church is estimated to have been before the year 578, while the establishment of the Parthenon-cathedral by Catholics happened in the year 1206.
The Ottoman Sultan, Muhammad al-Fatih, best known as Mehmet the Conquerer, captured the city of Athens in the year 1456. The rulers eventually surrendered the Acropolis of Athens and several other monuments to Al-Fatih. Under his rule, Al-Fatih converted the Parthenon into a mosque. There was not much of structural changes to the building. The Frankish bell tower was turned into a minaret. Several interior features dating back to the Christian era were removed, such as the presbytery screen, the high altar, and the altars located in the side apses. The Parthenon-mosque also had several of its rooms turned into storehouses, meant to store gunpowder. It is not known where the minbar and mihrab of the mosque were positioned and constructed. This mosque was known as the “Fortress-Mosque of Athens” by the Ottomans.
In the year 1687, the Venetians invaded Athens. The Parthenon-mosque was targeted by the Venetian soldiers, who detonated the gunpowder. A large part of the Parthenon was completely destroyed. But the Venetians eventually lost, and were driven out of Athens in the following months. They were likely forced to retreat.
In the early eighteenth century, a small mosque was constructed in the site of the Parthenon. It stood out amongst the ruins of the destroyed Parthenon. The mosque was built in the Ottoman architectural style, and featured a single dome above the main building, with three smaller domes above the entrance porch. However, archeological work started on the Parthenon in the year 1843. Hence, the mosque was sadly dismantled. The Parthenon was then rebuilt after the archeological excavations were done.
Today, no traces of the mosque remain. It is almost as if the mosque disappeared. Archeological excavations have revealed that there were Christian tombs within the Parthenon, but so far, nothing Islamic has been discovered. The last sighting of the mosque was witnessed by the traveller Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, who created a daguerreotype in 1839, showing the mosque still present and undamaged, standing out from the ruins.
Source:
Tournikiotis, 2009, page 148 (about the church)
The Conversion of the Parthenon into a Church: The Tubingen Theosophy by C. Mango (more information about the Parthenon as a church)
The Parthenon from Antiquity to the 19th Century, in Tournikiotis, 2009, page 152 (about the Parthenon's conversion into a mosque)
A History of Greece from its Conquest by the Romans to the Present Time, B.C. 146 to A.D. 1864, Vol. V: Greece under Othoman and Venetian Domination A.D. 1453–1821 by George Finlay (the invasion of Athens by the Venetians)
Ousterhout, 2005, pages 322-323 (more info about the second mosque)
Evliya Celebi's Seyahatnâme (one of the earliest Islamic reports about the mosque)
Pierre-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière image archive
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