To whom was the Parthenon dedicated after its conversion to a Christian church?

After its conversion into a Christian church, the Parthenon was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was known as the Church of the Parthenos Maria and also as the Church of the Theotokos, meaning “Mother of God.”

The change took place in the final decades of the fifth century AD, several centuries after the temple was built for Athena. The building was adapted for Christian worship: its orientation was altered, an apse was constructed at the former pronaos, and the cella became the church’s nave. Christian paintings and inscriptions were added, while some pagan sculptures were removed or damaged.

The Parthenon remained an important Christian pilgrimage destination during the Byzantine period. It later served as a cathedral under the Latin rulers of Athens. After the Ottoman conquest in the fifteenth century, the building was converted into a mosque, showing how its religious identity changed repeatedly while the ancient structure endured.