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Hagia Eirene
So, which one was the church for Ottoman sultans in Istanbul? Clearly, Ottoman sultans didn't need a church, they built and prayed in mosques. It is therefore remarkable that Hagia Eirene, located within the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace, never suffered the same fate as almost all other Byzantine churches after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In other words, these former churches were converted into ...
It is almost impossible to talk about Byzantine churches in Istanbul. After the conquest of Constantinople 572 years ago, the Ottomans converted almost all Christian Orthodox temples into mosques. The only Byzantine church that still retains its original function is the Panagia Mouchliotissa Church in Fener. I went to see this church both in 2024 and 2025, but unfortunately it was closed. I'm not too ...
