Mosques have existed within the borders of modern Greece since the era of Emirate of Crete (824-961).
During periods of nationalist uprising and wars against the Ottoman and later the Turkish army, the newly independent Greek nation showed little respect for the monuments of a faith identified with the enemy.
[3] A number of Ottoman mosques were confiscated and repurposed for use as government offices, churches, and other civilian purposes.
As a result, 355,000 to 400,000 Muslims left Greece,[5] most of them forcibly made to leave their lands, livelihoods, and mosques.
Many former mosques and other religious buildings also survived in the provinces of Macedonia, Thrace, Crete, and the islands of the Dodecanese which were integrated into the Greek State in the early 20th century.
[3] A number of them are still used as government buildings and churches, while many others have been restored and used as museums, exhibition, and concerts centers and as tourist attractions.