On the fourth hill of the city, to the northwest of the Aqueduct of Valens, was the church of the Holy Apostles, the most famous church in Constantinople after Saint (Hagia) Sophia. The basilica of the Twelve Apostles was erected in 330 by the Roman Emperor Constantine, who built within the church a large cross-shaped tomb intended for his own burial. He also prepared twelve empty caskets that were to receive the relics of the Twelve Apostles. In 356, the Roman Emperor Constantius brought and deposited under the altar the relics of Apostles Andrew from Achaia and Luke the Evangelist and Timothy from Ephesus. In 550 the church was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Justinian, designed with the Greek cross plan by the celebrated architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. The church also held the relics of the great Fathers of the Church Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian, placed in caskets on either side of the altar. The "Column of Flagellation", to which Jesus Christ had been bound and flogged, was also among the relics of the church. The church's yard was the resting place of the Byzantine Emperors from Constantine and his mother Helen until the 11th century. The graves of all our Patriarchs were also in the yard.

Most of the relics, the gold and silver vessels decorated with precious stones, the icons, the imperial crowns, the magnificent hieratic vestments and other important objects of the church of the Holy Apostles were carried off to Western Europe, when our capital was looted by the Latins in 1204. The Latins plundered the imperial tombs and robbed them of gold and gems. The glorious tombs were completely destroyed in the fall of Constantinople to the Turks (29th May 1453) by fanatical dervishes of sultan Mehmet II. According to the historian Kritoboulos, the dervishes smashed for 14 hours with clubs and steel rods the lyrics. After smashing them, they threw what was left in a lime furnace. In 1461 sultan Mehmet II demolished the church and built a mosque over its foundations, the Fatih (Conqueror) mosque. It was damaged beyond repair in 1763 by a terrible earthquake and the present mosque was built in its place.

The Saints Sergius and Bacchus church, a landmark in our ecclesiastical architecture, was built in 527 by the Roman Emperor Justinian, shortly before the Saint (Hagia) Sophia. The church is known to this day as the "little Hagia Sophia", because the general principles of its architecture are comparable with those of our Great Church. The columns are made of coloured marble and the interior of the church shone with its variegated marble walls and the lavishness of its golden mosaic decoration.

In 1509 sultan Bayezid II converted the church into a mosque, the Huseyin Aga mosque. The Turks destroyed the apse and whitewashed the frescoes and mosaics on the walls.

The Constantine of Lips monastery is a building complex composed of the church of the Theotokos Panachrantos (the Immaculate Mother of God), the church of Saint John the Baptist and the funerary chapel. The first church was built in 908 to the north of the site by Constantine Lips, a patrician of the Greek Emperor Leo VI the Wise. In the late 13th century the Greek Empress Theodora erected at the center of the complex a new church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and at the south a small funerary chapel. Excavations unearthed 32 tombs, including those of the Empress Theodora herself and of her daughter Eudocia. The monastery was a true work of art with the alternating tripartite arched windows, the elaborate decoration of toothed bands and meanders and the interplay of red and white brick blocks.

In 1453 sultan Mehmet II converted the monastery into a mosque, the Fenari Isa mosque. The north part of the peristyle of Saint John was destroyed. The mosque suffered severe damages by fire in 1622 and 1917. After the first fire the Turks destroyed the columns. After 1917 the monastery remains in ruins.

The Myrelaion (Holy Anointing Oil) monastery[B/], was built in 920 by the Greek Emperor Romanus I Lecapenus. Several members of the Macedonian and Comneni dynasties were buried in its basement crypt. The architecture of the chapel, the only surviving part of the monastery, is considered a masterpiece.

In 1203 the Latins burned the monastery. In 1574 sultan Murat III converted the monastery into a mosque, the Bodrum mosque. The mosque was destroyed by fire twice in 1784 and 1911. A fine portrait of a Byzantine princess revealed during excavations is now missing.

The [B]Jesus Christ Pantocrator monastery was built on a hill, to the right of the large avenue leading from the Golden Horn to the Aqueduct of Valens, in 1136 by the Greek Emperor John II Comnenos and designed by the architect Nikephoros. This monumental complex is the greatest church built in Constantinople after the time of Justinian I. The Greek Emperor Manuel I Comnenus brought from Ephesus the marble "Stone of Unction", on which Christ's body had been anointed before the entombment. Large crowds gathered in the monastery every day from all corners of the Greek Empire to venerate this sacred relic. In the grave chapel a number of Greek Emperors were buried including John II, Manuel I and Manuel II Palaiologos.

During the Latin occupation (1204-1261) the monastery was looted by the Venetians. The icons, sacred vessels and holy relics of the Pantocrator still shamelessly decorate the church of Saint Marco at Venice. In 1453 sultan Mehmet II converted the monastery into a mosque, the Zeyrek mosque. A huge emperial sarcophagus from green specked stone with crosses on the four sides is used as a foot-bath (!!) by the Turks entering the mosque. The rough-and-ready appearance of the church makes it seem as if the conquest of Byzantium has just happened, as if the ghosts of the monks cannot be far away.

The small but elegant Saint John Baptist monastery in Trullo was probably built in the 12th century. In 1520 pascha Ahmet converted the monastery into a mosque.

On the fifth hill of the city, overlooking the Golden Horn, is the Theotocos Pammakaristos monastery, built in 1305 by Michael Tarchaniotes Glabas, one of the best and finest works from the late Byzantine era. Many travellers and scholars who visited Constantinople described with admiration the monastery of Pammakaristos. Though severely damaged, the surviving mosaics reflect the brilliance and high quality, the remarkable style and technique, the classicizing trends, and in general the culture and spirit of the Palaeologan revival. The funerary chapel, consecrated to Jesus Christ, with its elegant proportions, the fine walling with the ornamental toothed bands, the slender shallow niches and wide blind arches pierced by double and triple lights and the two elegant domes, is one of the most important examples of ecclesiastical architecture in the 13th century.

In 1587 sultan Murat III converted the monastery into a mosque, the Fethiye (Victory) mosque. In the main chapel the Turks destroyed the apse to the east. Most of the unique and holy mosaics were whitewashed. In the funerary chapel the portraits of Tarchaniotes and his wife were destroyed.

Link: http://www.e-grammes.gr/2000/06/church_en.htm

Wanted to share the information even though I think the passage is too biased. The monuments with Turkish origin can't be preserved well, either. Don't be surprised if you see 400-year old baths turned into shops, if you see great mosques with broken doors, etc. It will take time telling many people that preserving monuments is crucial.

Regards...

P.S. I searched for a similar topic, but couldn't find one.

The famous church of the Holy Apostles, where a mosque is built over.


Interior of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus church used today as a mosque.


The Constantine of Lips monastery remains in ruins today.


The Myrelaion monastery used today as a mosque.

The Jesus Christ Pantocrator monastery used today as a mosque.


The Saint John Baptist monastery used today as a mosque.


The Theotocos Pammakaristos monastery used today as a mosque.

...

Sorry, messed things up. :p

1441,

Thanks. Very interesting link and photos.

Probably the closest that I can recollect is from not too long ago, although a sightly different focus to it, Pilgrimage to Constantinople , by Francisco.

Many years,

Neil

You're right. Thank you. I've used the wrong keyword.

Dear Friends,

What are the miraculous "weeping columns" in Aghia Sophia?

Anyone know anything about them?

Alex

Dear Alex,

The following passage is excerpted from the link http://www.istanbultravelguide.net/oldcitytour.htm

G'day,

Mustafa

...Have a look at the famous 'weeping column' where the protectorate angel is supposed to be. Other myths associated with the column say that if your finger emerges moist from the hole there, a wish can be granted. Justinian allegedly leant his head here and cured a headache. Others say the Angel Gabriel put his finger here first and turned the whole position of Saint Sophia slightly to the right, so that it faced Mecca. Miracles and tales never cease! In the upper galleries, which were reserved for women and the high society, there are some of the most wonderful mosaics on view. Also look out for the two marble cut stone gates on the way, reported to represent heaven and hell...

Dear Mustafa,

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim!

Thank you!

Are there shrines in Turkey that are honoured by BOTH Christians and Muslims today?

Alex

Yes, I know of some. There is Hagia Yorgi (George?) on the largest of the Princes' Islands, at the top of the hill. People from every religion and nation go there for paying tribute to God. For minorities the Islands are preferable for living as they are comparably farther...

And there is one church near the Pantocrator Church (Zeyrek). At certain times of the year Muslim women attend the ceremonies.

There are numerous sacred springs (ayazma) throughout the city of Istanbul. Some have drained out, some serve as gathering places.

Mustafa

People ask where I would like to go and I tell them Turkey and they think I am nuts. Istanbul must be a truly awesome place. Someday we will see it's glory again.

The city surrounded by the walls (old city, Constantinople) is a great spiritual place if you know where to go, if you recognize it as the center of a now-gone empire. Taking the ferry from the upstream Bosphorus and watching the silhoutte of Constantinople from the sea at night is the second best thing I love. The first is of course wandering in the labyrinthine streets of the city, gazing at the great monuments with awe. The cosmopolitan nature is also attractive even though it can be annoying at times...

Wouldn't it be wonderful and praise worthy if Istanbul could be like the eternal city of Rome...with all important buildings, through the centuries and through the religious eras, both civic and religious, intact! Wouldn't it be wonderful if mosque and ancient church could operate for their faithful side by side? The sounds and sights would be as awesome as those of Rome, if not more so... *sigh*

Imagine hearing the beautiful call of the muezzin to prayer then followed by the call of church bells?

Alice, dreaming of a city, which bridges Europe to Asia, the Christian West to the Islamic East, as being a shining beacon of diversity and historic brilliance.....an example to all of how to diffuse the present tensions between the Middle East and the West.

NOVA ROMA CONSTANTINOPOLITANA!

Oh, I wish... :rolleyes:

Dear Mustafa,

Then you are in agreement with us all here!

Alex

Well, dear Alex, I long for that multicultural Constantinople, as in those glorious days of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Greek, Jewish, Levantine, and Muslim (Turkish) communities sharing everything concerning everyday and spiritual life. I refuse to see things from a single perspective, whether that be of the Greeks or the Turks. Now, I don't deny the Greek civilization of Istanbul, I even appreciate it with much sincerity, but we must also accept that the Turks, until recently, contributed to that civilization also. The city would fall no matter what, and in that day's context, it fell to the Turks. Is there anything that you and I or somebody else can do about it? It's history. I'm concerned about Constantinople's future, because not many of the inhabitants know what a valuable thing they have. (You people do on this board ) Could I make myself clear?

But of course I would want to see the New Rome blossom again! I agree with you at this point. Peace...

Mustafa

I wanted to attach a few pictures that I had taken last summer. They are from streets of Phanar where the Patriarchate is, and from the Chora Monastery. And 1 or 2 from the Seraglio and the Tekfur Palace (Manuel Komnenus) (believed to belong to the Blachernai Palace).

Unfortunately, I don't know what the mosaics of Chora are depicting. These are not the best pictures, but can give you an idea. No attachment to the board is possible, I suppose, so here is the link for the compressed file (It will expire in a week): http://s21.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=25F8DJ4O751WR35R9XPTOUD15S

Regards...

Dear Mustafa,

It was very kind of you to show us these photos.

Are you perhaps a photographer by hobby or profession?

I also think that you would enjoy taking History of Art classes...It is a great field of study for those who are romantic/nostalgic for History through art and architecture.

Warm regards,
Alice

P.S. Your English is perfect!

Hi Alice,

What a pity I am not a photographer. I took those pictures upon the request of a friend. Well, I wasn't very successful since it requires a wide angle (and a camera that can zoom in) to fit the complete structures to one single shot, I could only do it piecewise. Notice the Greek High School and the Bulgarian Church.

In my senior year at university one of my electives was seminar in Medieval European History, but the content was mostly comprised of the history of Byzantium and her relations with the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. And the instructor was a Greek guy. I don't think I can do well in a history of art class though. It would be nice if I could.

Have a nice day all...

Mustafa,

Thanks in advance for photos that I know from Alice's reaction are going to be interesting. They are defying my efforts to extract them this evening, but I am very tired and, consequently, lacking in my usual computer saavy. Will revisit them tomorrow.

Many years,

Neil

Greetings to Mustafa and welcome to the forum.
I hope you do not mind but I tool the liberty of downloading your beautiful pictures and placing them on a web page for easier viewing. The link is:

http://www.stanne-byzcath.org/Mustafas_pics.htm

Please let me know if you have any problems viewing these since I used the photo gallery tool to place these.

In Christ,

Michael

Dear Alice, Neil and Michael,

Thank you for responses! Michael, special thanks goes to you! I don't think they are good pictures though. They deserve a better effort. Hopefully this Saturday I will take more and high quality pictures from the old city, spanning the monuments from the sea walls all the way to the land walls.

Many thanks also for accepting me to the forum, because I've always wanted to talk about Constantinople and share the material, her pictures in this case.

Mustafa

Dear Mustafa,

Thank you for the pictures, and welcome to the forum. I know that the 'City' was so well loved by the Greeks that lived there, as well as those that still do.

I have a map of old 'Constantinople' that I treasure. It was in an old 'National Geographic'. I cut it out, and hoped someday to have it framed.

It shows the outstanding buildings of the past, enlarged, with the Emporor and Empress near the palace, with all their regalia. It is sort of a caricature. I just love it. But then again, I'm a romantic.

I can't imagine though, any of those buildings brought back to their original glory. What 'glory' would they be brought back to. By that, I mean which era. There are so many. But then again, the Italians were always able to do it, so why not. They completely rebuilt the walls of Rhodes.

I was totally stunned when I was shown some pictures of some renovated mosaics in Aghia Sophia. I couldn't believe the beauty of the faces, etc. Of course as a romantic, my dream is to have a movie made of the sack of Constantinople by the Franks. How I would just love to see Venice, with it's people in their original dress and 'ways', and Constantinope and it's people, with their own dress and 'ways'.

I believe the women wore veils to cover their faces. I think the cone hats of the Middle Ages, came from Cyprus, and the hanging veil was really brought in front of their faces. But I'm only guessing.

Zenovia

I could not borrow my friend's multifunctional digital camera today. The weather was also overwhelmingly foggy; the pictures would be worse than the previous ones posted here.

Thanks for the pictures.

There was one especially, maybe it was from the Hagi Sophia. The one with the saints, this one http://www.stanne-byzcath.org/images/Chora3.jpg
I remember someone on here saying that when Constantinople was over-run, the bishops disappeared into the wall (something like that). That was just the feeling I had when I saw it, so weird. Michael thanks for making them easier to access.

Pani Rose