Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Monday that the church of the Holy Savior in Chora in Istanbul will be opened today as a mosque.

The decision to convert the ancient Byzantine Orthodox church was protested previously by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who was present at the press conference with the Turkish President when he announced the opening.

"The Kariye mosque in its new form will remain open to everyone," Erdogan said.

The church -now mosque- is decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgment.