In a statement issued on Friday the Greek Foreign Ministry described the act as "totally condemnable."

Xinhua quoted the statement saying that Turkey's decision is an insult to the character of another UNESCO cultural heritage monument, especially after the earlier conversion of the After Hagia Sophia into a mosque and shows disregard for international opinion.

Earlier this year the Turkish government which has Islamic leanings converted the an Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia museum, built in the 5th century, into a mosque, drawing sharp reactions from Greece and many other nations.

Also called the Kariye museum, the Chora museum was built in the 4th century as part of a monastery complex.

Once the Byzantine empire fell to the Ottoman rulers in the 15th century, both former Greek Orthodox Christian churches were converted into mosques, both were transformed into museums during the 20th century by the secular Turkish state headed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.