Ottomans never make the Parthenon into a mosque

[Pantsbucket]

Early 1460s OTL the Ottoman Empire converted the Parthenon (which was a Christian church at the time) into a mosque. The reasons for this are still not confirmed, however it caused a bit of a stir with the local Greeks (on top of the already unhealthy relationship between them).

What if this doesn't happen? Will the Venetians be less willing to shell it in 1687, preventing its destruction? How will this effect the local opinion of Ottoman rule?

 

[LSCatilina]

Early 1460s OTL the Ottoman Empire converted the Parthenon (which was a Christian church at the time) into a mosque. The reasons for this are still not confirmed

Isn't the usual mark of dominance, with churches turned into mosquees (and mosquees turned, sometimes back, into churches), critically with Athens being a pilgrimage site for Orthodoxs?

What if this doesn't happen? Will the Venetians be less willing to shell it in 1687, preventing its destruction? How will this effect the local opinion of Ottoman rule?

They may be more cautious indeed, but remember Parthenon was partially fortified since the Frankish takeover (remaining features as the Tour Franquewere destroyed in the XIXth century for not being Greek enough) so, it would probably remain an interesting site for military purposes.

 

[Pantsbucket]

Isn't the usual mark of dominance, with churches turned into mosquees (and mosquees turned, sometimes back, into churches), critically with Athens being a pilgrimage site for Orthodoxs?

The Ottomans, if I understand correctly, didn't normally do that sort of thing(during this point in history), barring Constantinople. They were arguably the most culturally tolerant power in Europe. The leading suggestion for why it was done was as punishment after the Ottomans discovered plans for a Greek rebellion.

 

[Alex Richards]

Early 1460s OTL the Ottoman Empire converted the Parthenon (which was a Christian church at the time) into a mosque. The reasons for this are still not confirmed, however it caused a bit of a stir with the local Greeks (on top of the already unhealthy relationship between them).

What if this doesn't happen? Will the Venetians be less willing to shell it in 1687, preventing its destruction? How will this effect the local opinion of Ottoman rule?

IIRC, the main reason the Venetians shelled it was because it was being used as a powder repository.

Or in any case, that's a better PoD- the Ottomans decide to use a different building on the Acropolis to store the gunpowder in.

 

[Pantsbucket]

IIRC, the main reason the Venetians shelled it was because it was being used as a powder repository.

Or in any case, that's a better PoD- the Ottomans decide to use a different building on the Acropolis to store the gunpowder in.

I get that they shelled it because of the powder stockpile, but it was also a shelter for civilians and a monumentally important historical landmark. If we were to add Christian place of worship to that list, I feel it may have some impact on the decision to attack it.

 

[Alex Richards]

I get that they shelled it because of the powder stockpile, but it was also a shelter for civilians and a monumentally important historical landmark. If we were to add Christian place of worship to that list, I feel it may have some impact on the decision to attack it.

But if the power stockpile isn't there, then that does a far better job of removing the question- it's not a strategic target, and any damage which might be done will be much easier to fix.

 

[Halagaz]

The Ottomans, if I understand correctly, didn't normally do that sort of thing(during this point in history), barring Constantinople. They were arguably the most culturally tolerant power in Europe. The leading suggestion for why it was done was as punishment after the Ottomans discovered plans for a Greek rebellion.

The Ottomans converted the principal church in every larger city they conquered into a mosque (churches of secondary importance were sometimes left alone, sometimes not). The Parthenon's transformation was nothing unusual.

 

[Space Oddity]

^Right.

Ottoman tolerance needs to be put into context--they may not have gone out of their way to persecute other religions--most of the time--but they tried to make damn sure everyone got the message as to where their new position on the food chain was...