Ottoman treasures

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HIDDEN TREASURES OF ISTANBUL

Maria Palaiologina, Chora Church, Istanbul

Saint Mary of Blachernae Church

Saint Mary of the Mongols Church

Saint Mary of the Mongols Church on the hill.

Balat, old city quarter

Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu

Galata Tower, old city quarter

Patriarchal Cathedral Church of St. George (Aya Yorgi).

Phanar.Red School and Bulgarian St Stefan Church

The Phanar Orthodox College is a prominent Greek Orthodox college in Istanbul. The earliest foundation dates back to 1454, a year after the conquest, by Matheos Kamariotis. The present building was constructed from 1881 to 1883 and cost 17,210 Ottoman gold pounds that is a fortune for its time, by the architect Dimadis. The college is famed for having graduated many Ottoman minesters, Dimitrie Cantemir was one of them. The red coloured building displays an imposing site for viewers from the Golden Horn, castle-shape like design makes it fifth largest castle in Europe.

The grey colored building in front of the red building is the Bulgarian St Stephen Church which was built for the Bulgarian minority in Istanbul. It is known for being completely of cast iron and shows Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque architectural influences. Prefabricated elements were produced in Vienna in 1893-1896 and brought to Istanbul by Danube river, and was assembled at the site of a wooden structured church in 1898 after one and half years of work.

2. The Church of St George ( Aya Yorgi) was the principal Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul and functions as the center of the Greek Orthodox Patrichate since about 1600 after being moved to various places in the city.

This small church, also the burial place of Theodora, wife of the Emperor Justinian, dedicated to St Greorory displays no outside significance except the interior is lavishly decorated. The original building, which was a convent, has been through many fires and hence had to be rebuilt so many times. The building itself may not be but the ecclesiastical collection was noteworthy to be seen, among these relics St Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, removed by Fourth Crusaders in 1204, returned back in 2004 by Pope John Paul II.

The visiting hours is from 8.30am to 4pm.

3. Saint Mary of the Mongols situated at the summit of a hill and behind a high wall, not easy to identify from outside. A road, Sancaktar yokusu named after the Ottoman Standard Bearer , winds up to this commanding spot from the Greek Orthodox Centre in Phanar (Fener as locals call it) by the magnificent looking red building or the Greek College. The church is also known as ' Kanli Kilise ( Bloody Church)' due to their resistance to Ottoman soldiers.

Remained as the only Greek Orthodox Church after the conquest with the decree of the Conquer. Decrees can be seen today on the church wall. After her return to Constantinople in1261 Maria Palaiologina, daughter of Emperor Michael VIII and widow of Mongol Abaqa Khan built the chucrh on the place of a monastery. Last Judgement scene, mosaic representation of Theotokos and icons are worthy to bee seen.

The legened has it that there is a secret passage from this church to Hagia Sophia.

4. Saint Mary of Blachernae (Meryem Ana Kilisesi) is one of the prominent Greek Orthodox churches in Istanbul. It is situated at the northern end of the Theodocious city walls near Golden Horn. The very original church dates back to the times of Empress Aelia Pulcheria in 450 and was destroyed by a fire 1434 about 20 years before the conquest of the city by the Ottomans. It is believed that some noble boys started a fire accidentally while hunting pigeons at the site.

The site was close to the imperial palace of Blachernae and near a holy spring. The church possessed a famous icon of the Virgin, known as Blachernitissa, believed by the Byzantines as most powerful victory giver at a war or in case of natural disasters.

8. Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) is situated north of the Golden Horn, built in 1348 by the Genoese Colonists at the apex of the fortification walls enclosing their compound in Constantinople. The tower is of 51.65 m height at the observation level and of 16.45 m diameter at the base with 8.95 m inner diameter. The total height is 66.90 meters with the conical top part inclusive.

A café on its upper floors serves refreshments, later in the evenings it operates as a nightclub. Upper deck commands a magificient panoramic view of Istanbul on both continents Europe and Asia that you should not miss.

Ottomans used it as observation tower for spotting fires. Famous Ottoman historian, Evliya Celebi, notes an early aviator named Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi who flew from this tower and managed to land on the slopes of the Bosphorus on the Asian side. Evliya Celebi also reports that a brother of Hezarfen named Lagari Hasan Çelebi tried one of the first flights in the history with a conical rocket in 1633 during the reign of Sultan Murat IV. The sultan, though pleased with his achievments, warned him not to repeat his performances.

St. Anthony Church, Beyoglu.

6. Pammakaristos Church is located in the district of Fatih. At present the complex is of two parts, one parekklesion that is a museum and the main nave a mosque. The church was built by the Palailogan dynasty and famed to have the best examples of the Byzantine mosaics after Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church.

After the fall of Constantinople the church served as the second seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate after the Church of the Holy Apostles until 1587.

Anemas Dungeons dated to 7th C AD,reign of Emperor Heraclius, were within the compounds of the Blachernae Palace, royal residence of late Byzantines Emperors, situated at the Golden Horn end of Theodosius II walls.

Prisoners cells all under ground level consisting of 14 separate dungeons.

Remaining wall section of the Blachernae Palace

Burgaz Island, one of the several beautiful summer resort islands off the coast of Istanbul.

We start the day visiting some of Istanbul's forgotten treasures in a sequence as numbered.

1. Greek Orthodox College is only minutes away from the Church of St. George in Phanar, and can be easily seen from miles due to its distinctive shape and colour.

5. Blachernae Palace and Anemas Dungeons

Christ Pantocrator Church, Zeyrek

7. Christ Pantokrator Monastery was built in 12th C AD and dedicated to Christ by empress Eirene Komnena. The compound consists of a church, a library and a hospital and another church built later by John II Komnenos following the death of his wife Eirene. The site is situated on a hill overlooking Golden Horn in the neighbourhood of Fatih. At this site members of both dynasties Komnenos and Palaiologos were buried.

Patriarch Gennadius II Scholarius was a monk here before the fall of Constantinople.

During the Latin occupation, the monastery served as an imperial palace for the emperor of the Latins, Baldwin. Shortly after conquest the place was converted to a mosque called by locals as Molla Zeyrek Camii.

Seven Towers, from medieval times

Tekfur Palace remains

Blachernae Palace integrated with the Theodocian city walls.

The original church was first built outside the city walls by Aelia Pulcheria 399 - 453 , the daughter of Emperor Arcadius and wife of Emperor Marcian. After 627 the walls were expanded to have the church inside the walls. With the reign of Alexius I Palace of Blachernae was built and used as the main residence of the Byzantine emperors.

Remains of Dimitrie Cantemir's mansion in Istanbul, in Phanar, in the compound of the Cantacuzino estate. Dimitrie Cantemir was a Moldavian noble who served as the Ottoman Minister in Moldavia in 18th Century. He acquired a profound knowledge in many fields: classics, musics, languages, etc.