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The
Patriarchal Churches The current Patriarchal Church of St. George formerly served as a convent for Orthodox nuns. The Church of St. George in the Phanar (Fener) is the fifth Patriarchal church in Constantinople and home to the Ecumenical Patriarchate since the fifteenth century. Prior to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Patriarchal churches were:
Since the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Patriarchal churches have been:
Holy Patriarchal Churches through the years
Saint Irene External Links
Holy Wisdom
Rebuilt by Emperor Theodosium
II, it was opened for worship 415 and once again was burned to the ground,
during the Nika revolts of 532. Emperor Iustanianus (527 – 565) wanted to
construct something even bigger than the original two and appointed architects
Isidoros from Miletos, and Anthemios from Tralles to build the Aya Sophia which
still stands. Columns, heads, marble and coloured stones were imported to
Istanbul from ancient cities in Anatolia for the purpose. The construction began
on 23 December 532, and was completed exactly five years later. The main,
central section measured 100m x 70m, covered with a 55m high dome which was a
mammoth 30m in diameter – appearing to be a great feat of design. The mosaics
are of great importance, and the oldest ones are dominated by geometric and
plant motifs decorated with gold. The worst desecration of the church was in
1204, ransacked by Catholic soldiers during the Fourth Crusade. In 1453, after a
failure of the Byzantine Church to fend off the Turks, Mehmet the Conqueror
captured the city, rode into Aya Sofia and immediately turned it into a mosque.
It was repaired several times, and Islamic ornamentation added, for example an
extract of the Koran by calligrapher Izzet Efendi inscribed on the dome. The
other reminders of its previous status as a mosque include huge wooden plaques
bearing the names of Allah, the Prophet Mohammed and the first four caliphs. The
marble and mosaics remain the most interesting aspects today. The columns
supporting the gallery are made from antique marble, and in the western gallery
is the green marble which marks the position of the throne of the Empress. The
impressive figurative mosaics include Virgin and Child flanked by two emperors,
dating back to the late 10th century, and one depicting Christ, the Virgin, and
St John the Baptists. Even though there is partial damage, the haunting images
on their faces remain as strong as ever.
External Links
Pammakaristos 1145,6-1587
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St Demetrios 1597-1600
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St George 1601- Present
External Links
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