This waterside area has not only a huge density of churches but also an amazing diversity. The Genoese were allowed to settle here after the 1261 recapture of the city after the Latin occupation. This means that there are few Byzantine churches in Galata but a proliferation of those of other denominations. After the 1453 conquest, the number of Greek churches away from the central zone grew. Now, a walk through Karaköy will reveal Armenian churches, synagogues and the regrettable Türk Orthodox establishments. As one turns one’s gaze to the sky, one sees the four Russian chapels perched on the sixth floors of the great commercial buildings of the port area. After some dreadful events that have reduced the congregations of many of these churches to nothing, the Karaköy churches face the greatest threat to their existence – greed. As the real estate here becomes increasingly desirable, developers fail to see why minority churches should impede their progress.
Arap Camii/Church of St Paul (or St Domenic)
Church of St George
The Latin Church of St Michael
Dominican Church and Convent of St Peter and St Paul
Russian Churches
The Türk Orthodox Patriarchate
Yeraltı Camii
Monastery at Tophane
The Church of St Benoit
Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Adam in Uncategorized
Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Adam in Uncategorized
This area is dominated by the lofty Fatih Camii, once the site of the Church of the Holy Apostles, where the most powerful of the Byzantine emperors were buried. In the surrounding areas, the remains of what was once a high density of monasteries occasionally surface. The enormous Pantocrator Monastery is being mercilessly restored. There are two churches that retain their Byzantine character – the forbidding Gül Camii, and the peaceful Eski Imaret Camii.
Eski Imaret Camii/Church of St Saviour Pantepoptes
Molla Zeyrek Camii/Church of St Saviour Pantokrator
Şeyh Süleyman Mescidi
Gül Camii/ Church of St Theodosia
The Church of the Holy Apostles
Ayakapı Chapel
Sinan Paşa Mescidi/Kızıl Mescid
The Church at Medipol University
Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Adam in Uncategorized
Posted June 19, 2014 Posted by Adam in Uncategorized
The centre of life for the ordinary citizen of Constantinople. The churches are more modest than those around the major palaces near Aya Sofya. The intact ones are the marble-lined Kalenderhane, the doll’s house of Bodrum Camii and the unreconstructed, dirty-old-man of Constantinople churches, Vefa Camii. The rest have disappeared under development, especially of the ever-metastasising Istanbul University. It may have been better if the remains of the massive Church of St Polyeuktos had never resurfaced.
Vefa Camii/Kilise Camii/Molla Gürani Camii/Church of St Theodore
Bodrum Camii/Church of the Myrelaion/Myrrhelaion
Kalenderhane/The Church of St Saviour Kataleptos
Church of St Polyeuktos
The Beyazit Churches
Balaban Ağa Mescidi
Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople/Surp Asvadzadzin Patriarchal Church
« Previous Entries Next Entries »