In the north of Cyprus, destroyed or looted and desecrated nearly 500 Orthodox churches

[Евгений]

American newspaper The Washington Times has new data report US Helsinki Commission: About 500 Orthodox churches in the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus had been robbed and desecrated or destroyed.
Of the churches in the occupied territories disappeared 15 thousand icons. Thousands of Orthodox icons, frescoes, mosaics, sculptures and utensils from looted in northern Cyprus temples appear on the Western auctions.
In military hospitals, barracks and warehouses have been transformed 28 churches, 13 - in the barns, 77 converted to a mosque, where quotations from the Koran replaced the icons and crucifixes.
The sad fate of the monastery Antifonetis the Byzantine era. All its icons and frescoes were removed and sold to dealers engaged in speculation in cultural property.
Another monastery in the occupied territories - St. Anastasia - was transformed into a luxury hotel with a casino, in the courtyard which created a large swimming pool.
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http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/716890.html

[uriart]

It is all sad!
It turns out that not only in Russia robbing churches and monasteries.

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Сообщение от Eugene

77 converted into mosques,

I remembered yesterday's mention of the city of Pec, in southern Hungary on the border with Croatia now.

Сообщение от LCR

There is Vasarely Museum in Pecs, Hungary.

And he remembered this wonderful old town and an interesting church, which is located in the central square - cross-sectional area. Externally, the church resembles a mosque, but on top of the crescent, its crowning dome, painted a Catholic cross. The history of the mosque, the church is as follows. Originally, its place was a Catholic church in the Romanesque style. In the XVI century Pec, like many other cities in Hungary, captured by the Turks. Added a minaret, they turned the temple into a mosque Pasha Gazi Kasim. After the expulsion of the Turkish mosque again transformed into a Catholic church, went over to the Jesuits. Cross was displayed directly above the crescent as a symbol of the victory of Christianity. During subsequent centuries the church has undergone some changes, however, and under the late buildup can guess the Islamic elements, such as, for example, the characteristic pointed arches above the windows, niches, bright geometric patterns, the remnants of mihrab, a prayer niche, located in the side facing the Mecca mosque . Now this temple is the parish church Belvarosh.