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Kariye mosque
Imagine a city that served as a centre of the Christian Orthodox faith for a thousand years and later became a centre of the Islamic Caliphate for four centuries. When Sultan Selim I conquered Mamluk Egypt in 1517, he assumed the title of Caliph. Now, imagine a Christian Orthodox church adorned with some of the finest late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, masterpieces that remained untouched by the Ottomans ...
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 ...
