Istanbul - temples and chapels. Orthodox shrines of Istanbul

Despite the fact that today Istanbul is one of the busiest centers of the Muslim world, for all Orthodox Christians it was and remains the cradle of Orthodoxy, the city from which Orthodoxy came to Rus', and after the fall of Byzantium, it was Rus' that became the legal successor of the center of Orthodoxy in the world.

That is why in Istanbul Orthodox shrines are respected and their history is taken care of. We are pleased to invite you on a tour of the Orthodox shrines of Istanbul.

Many churches for which it was famous Byzantine Empire, decorate the earth today, although many of them have since become mosques.

A striking example of this is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, which was originally built as Orthodox church, and then became a mosque today, Hagia Sophia is a museum that is one of the most stunning masterpieces of medieval architecture. Sophia temples in Novgorod and Kyiv were built on the model of this majestic cathedral.

After Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmed II, Hagia Sophia became a mosque, and believers from all corners of the state flocked to this main mosque of the Ottoman capital for almost five centuries in a row.

Another Orthodox shrine in Istanbul is the Church of St. Irene, which was built in the fourth century on the site of the Temple of Aphrodite. This place is noteworthy because the First Ecumenical Council in the history of the world was held here. The church building has survived to this day, and in almost the same form in which it was built. This is a unique architectural structure, which has no analogues in the world.

In modern Istanbul there is the Church of Our Lady of Blachernae, built in the fifth century - a landmark building for all Orthodox Christians. The fact is that the church was built over a source that had unique healing properties. In addition, it was in this church that part of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a robe and a head veil were kept.

This is just part of it Orthodox heritage, which Istanbul inherited from Constantinople. We invite you to see these holy places with your own eyes.

• The cost of accompanying a guide during an excursion for a group of up to 4 people is: 150$
• Entrance fees, food and drinks are paid SEPARATELY
• Please check the cost for larger (smaller) groups separately

Istanbul is the place where world Christianity originates. Moreover, it is from here that Orthodoxy spread across the earth, and in Istanbul there are a lot of saints for anyone Orthodox Christian places One of these shrines can be called the Balykly Church,…

Istanbul became acquainted with Christianity in the 4th century. Before this, paganism dominated the city. The first Christian churches in Istanbul are Havariya, Aya Sofia and the Church of Hagia Irene. Before the conquest of the city by the Ottomans, churches belonging to different faiths and movements were built in Istanbul: Nestorian, Monophysite, Catholic, Orthodox, Syrian, Gregorian, Celtic, Dominican and Franciscan. In addition, many peoples had their own churches - Greeks, Armenians, Latins, Genoese.

Armenian Patriarchate

The Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul is one of the four hierarchical centers of the Armenian Church (the other three are in Yerevan, Beirut and Jerusalem). The first Istanbul Patriarch, Joachim I, held the highest holy office during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Since 1641 the central church of St. Virgin Mary and wooden building The patriarchate is located in the port of Konstantalion, which today belongs to the Kumkapi region.
The Patriarchate is located a 20-minute walk from the Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Tolkapı Palace. In 2001, all Armenians of the world and Istanbul celebrated the 450th anniversary of the founding of the Armenian Patriarchate.

Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua

The Church of St. Anthony, located on Istiklal Avenue in Beyoglu, is the work of the architect Giulio Mongheri. Construction of the church lasted six years and ended in 1912.
The church, which is one of the largest in Istanbul, has the largest Catholic parish. The church, built of red brick, is a shining example neo-Gothic architectural style.

Church of St. George of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate is located in the courtyard of the church located in the Fener district. The Patriarchate was transferred to the Church of St. George, previously used as a monastery, in 1602.
The church was severely damaged by fire in 1941 and several times in subsequent years. The last restoration work ended in 1991. The church is famous for its priceless relics: the Patriarchal throne, supposedly dating from the 5th century; trimosaic icons, which have virtually no analogues in the world; the column to which, according to legend, Jesus was tied while being tortured; the tombs of three saints are just a few of the things the church is famous for.

Synagogue Neve Shalom

The Neve Shalom Synagogue, whose name means “Oasis of Peace” in Hebrew, converges on Vyuk Hendek Avenue, in Beyoğlu Kuledibi. Noah's Jewish sports hall was converted into a synagogue primary schools. However, since the necessary permits were not obtained, the synagogue remained inactive until 1949. The design of the synagogue was prepared by two Jews, graduates of the Istanbul technical university Elio Venturai and Bernard Motola. The synagogue was opened for services in 1951. The most impressive details interior decoration are, suspended from the dome, an eight-ton chandelier, stained glass windows specially brought from England and marble dividing partitions.

Armenian Orthodox Church Surp Kirkor Lusarovich

The church, located at No. 3 Sakızcilar Street in Karakoy, is the oldest Armenian church in the city (built in 1431). Kirkor Lusarovich, one of several churches built during the Republican period, with its conical dome, occupies a special place among the Armenian churches of the city. There are very few churches in Istanbul that have a dome of this shape. The bell tower, built at the entrance of the church, reflects the classical Armenian architectural style. The interior is decorated with tiles left over from an ancient ruined church. Several paintings were also used in the decorations. Interior lighting, as is customary in Armenian churches, weak and supported by several narrow windows.

Church of St. Stephen - "Iron Church"

St. Stephen's Church, also called " Bulgarian Church", located on Mursel Pasha Street on the shore of the Golden Horn Bay. The church building, like the internal columns and mezzanines, is made of sheet iron. The iron was forged in Vienna in 1871 and transported to the Golden Horn by sea. The design of the church is made in a mobile version; if necessary, it can be disassembled, transported to another place and reassembled again. The church is the creation of the famous architect of that time - Aznavour. The church was built for the Bulgarian minority, which broke away from the Greek Patriarchate, located in the Balat hills, and is still used by the same community. In the garden there are the graves of the first Bulgarian Patriarchs. The church attracts visitors beautiful garden, surrounded by greenery and located on the shore of the Golden Horn Bay.

Sakizagadzhi Surp Asdvazazin Cathedral

The Armenian church, located in the Besiktas - Sakızağaci district, was built in 1866. In addition to the main altar dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, the church has four more altars painted by Roman masters. Although the side chapels of the church were heavily damaged during the great fire of Pera in 1870, the main building suffered virtually no damage.

Ortakoy Surp Kirkor Lusarovich Church

Construction of the Armenian catholic church was begun in 1837 and completed in 1838 at a cost of 961 gold lire. The architecture of the church partially resembles Roman basilicas. The church consists of one central section and two corridors. The high and ornate ceilings are supported by eight centrally positioned columns. On the main altar there is an image of Saint Kirkor Lusarovich baptizing the Armenian king Dirtat II. In addition to the main one, there are four more altars in the church.

Church of Saint Pierre

The Dominican priests had to move their church to its current location by the Galata Tower because the original church was converted into a mosque. The current building was built in 1841 by the Fossati brothers, architects of Italian-Swiss origin, famous for their participation in restoration work Hagia Sophia. The back of the church is built into the ancient Genoese city walls.
The main parishioners, until recently, were members of the small Maltese community in Istanbul. Main relic church icon The Holy Virgin Mary, patroness of Byzantium, kept in a silver thicket. In the backyard there are outbuildings and a monastery building, designed like a church, in Italian style. On the street, behind the church, you can see two towers of the Genoese walls. In order to get to the church, it was necessary to go through the courtyard, since according to Ottoman laws, the façade of the building could not face the street. All visitors had to ring a bell to get inside.
The church was built in basilica style with a four-sided altar. The sky-colored dome located above the choir stage is decorated with gilding.

Church of St. Irene

Church of St. Irene or " Holy Church Mira", located in the first avlu of the Topkapi Palace, was built in the 4th century and is the most old church Istanbul. Over the 740 years of its existence, the church acquired its current appearance. During times Ottoman Empire The church was used as a weapons and ammunition warehouse. After restoration, the church hosts cultural events and exhibitions.

And I invite you to a small quarter of the Fanar district (Fener, on the Fatih Peninsula, coordinates 41°1′ 44.73″N, 28°57′ 6.56″E) on the southern side of the Golden Horn Bay. Orthodox Church in Istanbul we visited when we were heading to Dolmabahce Palace, this excursion was unplanned. There are 60 Orthodox churches in Istanbul, the main one is St. George the Victorious.

Our friends had visited the cathedral earlier and strongly recommended visiting the Church of St. George (Turkish: Aya Yorgi ) , behind whose walls valuable relics are kept. The church belongs to the Orthodox shrines of Constantinople.

We went from the Sultanahmet area to the Fanar area by taxi; the service started at 10 am, so we decided to splurge a little to save time. The Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious is the residence of the Ecumenical and Constantinople Patriarch.

Phanar District - oldest district Istanbul. Wealthy Greeks bought houses and land here to be closer to the patriarchal throne. Many of them have served the patriarchy for generations.

The Temple of St. George is located behind a high fence in the shadow of the beautiful minarets of Istanbul. The central gate of the temple is always closed and reminds of a long-gone history. In 1821, the execution of Patriarch George V was carried out at the gates of the shrine, who was accused of involvement in the Greek uprising and was hanged right on the gates of the temple.

In appearance, the modest basilica bears little resemblance to Cathedral, but the whole perception changes as soon as you enter the walls of a functioning temple. The building itself is surrounded by small courtyards with elegant flower beds, administrative buildings, residence of the patriarch and library. Behind the temple there is a bell tower.

During its history, the Orthodox church has experienced many fires and destruction. Initially, this place was convent, and since 1601 the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

We entered the temple when the service had already begun and spent about an hour in it.

The first thing that catches your eye when entering the church is the gold-covered iconostasis, mosaic icons and tall candelabra from Ivory- lavish decoration, which is characteristic of Orthodox Christianity.

To the right of the iconostasis is a fragment of a marble flagellation pillar from Jerusalem, in which part of a ring is embedded. According to legend, Jesus was chained to this ring during the scourging.

You can place your palm on the ring and pray.

Along the wall of the temple there are sarcophagi with the relics of the holy great martyrs Queen Feofania, Solomonia and Euphemia. The church contains containers with particles of the relics of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

In 1941, the church was badly damaged by fire. The renewed Orthodox Church of St. George the Victorious was opened after restoration in 1991.

In March 2014, on the Day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, a Divine Liturgy, which brought together numerous laymen and clergy, representatives of the State diplomatic corps and statesmen. The solemn service was led by 13 patriarchs Orthodox churches peace.

The liturgy was held in several languages: Greek, Church Slavonic, Georgian, Serbian, Arabic, Romanian and Albanian. In truth, the celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy took place in Istanbul.

I won’t say, but there is a belief that the Church of St. George is a place of power, it is visited by women who cannot get pregnant, one of their parishioners told us about this. There are many examples when different legends are invented for PR purposes, but often, a woman who dreams of the happiness of motherhood believes in different superstitions.

Just like hundreds of years ago, Orthodox residents of the city go to a temple in which the boundaries of time are smoothed out and minor singing returns them to that world where they feel not only descendants, but also a true part of Great Byzantium.

Photography is permitted in the Church of St. George.

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The church is open to the public every day from 8:30 to 16:00.

Emniyet-Fatih metro station

Thank you for attention!

During his first official visit to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' called for the development of pilgrimage to Turkey. Over the centuries that have passed since then, hundreds of Orthodox churches have been destroyed or turned into mosques, and many shrines have been desecrated. But not all. Deacon Fyodor Kotrelev, correspondent of the magazine, and photographer Evgeniy Globenko bowed to the surviving pearls of Orthodoxy.

Ecumenical Phanar

Today's Istanbul is a mostly Turkish city: mosques everywhere, people dressed in oriental style, five times a day the howls of muezzins coming from megaphones from the minarets. Over the centuries of occupation, Constantinople has become so Turkishized that it is very difficult to find Christian shrines in it: there are few of them left, they are invisible from the outside, and street signs are generally not very characteristic of this city. Therefore, anyone wishing to visit the shrines of Constantinople should be well prepared for a walk around Istanbul. Or just start by visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate: and there they will explain how to get to other shrines.

The Patriarchate is located in one of the most colorful areas of the city - Phanar or, in the Turkish way, Fener. "Phanar" means "lighthouse" in Greek, and there was once one in this place. The Greek intelligentsia, the Phanariots, traditionally settled here for several centuries. It was from the Phanariots that Greek-speaking officials were recruited to serve at the court of the Sultan.

But the number of Greeks in Istanbul is constantly decreasing, and those who remain prefer to live unnoticed, quietly. The Greek community now numbers about 3 thousand people, although before the pogrom that occurred in September 1955, there were more than 100 thousand in it. Then, in response to the explosion in the courtyard of the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki, anti-Greek riots swept across Turkey. In Istanbul, 73 out of 83 Orthodox churches were looted and devastated, most of them burned. Now relations between Turks and Greeks have more or less normalized, but the Greek community has virtually no political weight or voice.

The Orthodox clergy here, by the way, do not wear cassocks (except for the patriarch), but this is not a matter of fear of nationalists. This custom was introduced by Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's first president, who sought to make the country more secular and religiously tolerant. The Fez Ban law prohibited representatives of any faith from wearing religious clothing outside the temple.

It's difficult in Istanbul now appearance recognize not only the priest, but also the Christian church: either there are no crosses at all, or they are not visible from the street. However, taxi drivers perfectly understand the word “Patriarchy” - the only thing they know from Christian realities - and they bring him straight to him. Or you can walk along the wonderful Golden Horn Bay, which divides Istanbul into two parts: Galata and the Old City.

The Patriarchate is several buildings of the 18th-19th centuries behind a high fence and without a sign. It is always open here during daylight hours. Quiet inside! White marble purity, sun and not a soul... To the right is the residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, and if you need communication with anyone, then this is there. There is both a duty officer and a secretary. And if to church, then from the gates of the Patriarchate - forward. The Church of the Great Martyr George was built at the beginning of the 18th century. The inside is very beautiful: dark wood stasidia with griffin heads on the armrests, a gilded carved iconostasis. On the curtain of the Royal Doors is the coat of arms of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarch: double headed eagle. And also not a soul... Only occasionally you can find one or two tourists or pilgrims here. The latter come here mainly from Greece, but there are also Russians. They know: precious Christian shrines are kept here. For example, to the right of the iconostasis there is a column; according to legend, the Lord was chained to it during the torture before the cross. The remainder of the ring to which the Savior was chained still sticks out from the column. It is believed that this shrine was brought from Jerusalem in 326 by St. Queen Elena. In the right and left parts of the temple, along the southern and northern walls there are reliquaries with the relics of saints: on the right are the remains of holy wives, and on the left are the remains of husbands. On the right you can venerate the relics of St. Euphemia of All Praise, Solomonia and Feofania.

At the beginning of the 3rd century, the proconsul of the city of Chalcedon - this is across the Bosporus Strait, now in this place the Kadikoy district of Istanbul - tried to force the Christians of the local community to make sacrifices pagan god. He especially wanted to persuade Euphemia, the young beauty, to do this. But Saint Euphemia said that “he would sooner be able to turn over the mountains on earth and move the stars in the sky than to tear her heart away from the true God.” Then the proconsul replaced persuasion with torture, but the faith of St. Euphemia couldn't. She sang prayers, calling on the Savior for help, and no matter how much torture she was subjected to, the Lord showed a miracle - St. Euphemia remained unharmed. Seeing all this, many believed in Christ. St. died Euphemia only after she herself asked the Lord about it. Then, as the life tells, the bear, the only one of all the animals with which they tried to hunt the saint, inflicted a small wound on her - and immediately she gave up her spirit to the Lord. In Chalcedon, a church was built in honor of the saint, where the famous IV took place in 451. Ecumenical Council– Chalcedon, – at which the heresy of Monophysitism was condemned.

The Old Testament saint Solomonia was the mother of the seven Maccabean brothers who came out in 166 BC against the wicked Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated the Jerusalem Temple and forced the Jews to make pagan sacrifices. Before the eyes of St. Solomonia tortured and killed her children one after another. She bravely watched their deaths, and then died herself.

Holy Queen Theophania lived in the 9th century (+893) and was the first wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise (886-911). Due to slander, she and her husband, then still heir to the throne, were imprisoned for three years. Having received freedom, she spent her life in prayer and fasting.

Our Lady of Mongolia: a church that never closed

Life on Phanar is quiet, calm and completely devoid of tourists, of whom there are a lot in the center of Istanbul. The streets here are paved with cobblestones and - like throughout the city - are laid on steep slopes. Every two or three houses there are “buffets” - small cafes where you can eat and drink coffee, but, unlike the city center, there is absolutely no raki - aniseed vodka: Phanar is inhabited mainly by devout, traditional Muslims, for whom alcohol is prohibited.

Another good thing about Phanar is that here the traveler is not besieged by shoe shiners with their folding boxes filled with brushes and polishes. In other areas, Istanbul cleaners operate like this: you are walking calmly along the street and suddenly notice that a man with a box over his shoulder has dropped a brush. You draw the cleaner's attention to this or hand him the fallen brush. Sprinkling in gratitude, the “beneficiary” offers to clean your shoes - “completely free of charge, I’m your debtor!” But when the process comes to an end, it turns out that you did not understand it. You owe 10-20 euros - because the shoe polish was the best!

The Church of Mary of Mongol is located a seven-minute walk from the Patriarchate. But it's hard to find. Meanwhile, this church is at bottom! It was built in the 13th century, and its modern look and owes its name to the daughter of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos Maria of Mongol. For diplomatic reasons, the princess was married to Mongol Khan, but even after that she did not break ties with her homeland and donated money for the construction of the Church of the Mother of God, which later became known as the Church of the Mother of God of Mongol. This church is famous for the fact that it is the only one in the city that was never closed or passed into the hands of the Turks. The temple received such favor thanks to its parishioner, the Greek architect Christodoulos, who built many mosques for Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, and in particular the Fatih Mosque. The terrible ruler issued a special firman (decree), which forbade closing the church or turning it into a mosque.

The blind gates are closed. There is complete silence on the street. But knock harder and a guard will come out accompanied by a mongrel: “Come in, come in.” That's all she can say in English. And she will express the categorical and incomprehensible ban on photography in eloquent gestures: they say, you can’t go inside, go to the yard! There is reverent darkness in the temple (the windows are shuttered) and silence. I don't want to leave.

Blachernae spring: where the miracle of the Intercession happened

Under Constantinople, apparently, there are giant aquifers. Throughout the city you can see active or abandoned springs - sometimes unnamed, sometimes with inscriptions in Turkish or Greek, like the source of St. Kharlampy on the embankment near Phanar. Many of these sources were revered by the inhabitants of Constantinople as miraculous. One of the most famous is in the Blachernae Temple (so named after belonging to the area - Blachernae), more precisely, in the surviving small part of it. The temple was built over a spring in the 5th century and is famous for the fact that the robe, head cover and part of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary were once kept here.

The temple was built by Emperor Leo the Great specifically to store these shrines. In 860, the robe of the Virgin Mary saved Constantinople from the attack of Slavic ships that appeared in the Bosporus under the leadership of Prince Askold. In honor of this event, the holiday of the Placing of the Robe was established - July 2.

Here, in the Blachernae Church, in 910 the miracle of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary took place. Then Constantinople was besieged by Muslim Saracens. October 1 during all-night vigil the holy fool Andrew and his disciple Epiphanius saw walking through the air Holy Mother of God with angels and a host of saints. The Most Holy Virgin prayed for Christians, and then spread Her Veil over all those praying in the temple. Soon the Saracen troops retreated.

True, that first temple burned down in the 15th century, but a new one was built in its place. It’s not far from the Patriarchate - a 20-25 minute walk through the Balat and Ayvansaray areas. At the door of the temple you are greeted by Yanis, a Greek who serves as a watchman and tour guide around the temple, very kind and open to communication. He willingly shows the icon of the Intercession in the iconostasis (although the Greeks do not celebrate the Feast of the Intercession, the icon still exists) and a very old, poorly preserved icon of the Mother of God, painted, according to legend, by St. Evangelist Luke. The font above the source, judging by ancient lithographs, has not changed at all. Except that previously holy water was poured from a source by a specially assigned monk, but now it flows from taps built into the font.

Having said goodbye to Yanis, we will go to another holy source of Constantinople - the Life-Giving.

Life-Giving Source

Not far from Constantinople, a healing spring has been revered since ancient times. The Byzantine historian of the 14th century Nikephoros Callistus retells the legend about the warrior Leo, the future emperor Leo Marcellus (5th century), to whom the Mother of God herself pointed to the miraculous source and ordered to build a temple on this place. The temple was built and was highly revered due to the numerous miracles that took place in it. The corresponding iconography is also associated with the Life-Giving Source: the Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms in a font from which streams of water pour out. Every year on Bright Friday a visit was made to the Church of the Life-Giving Spring. procession. In Russia, according to researchers, the holiday of the icon Mother of God The “Life-Giving Source” came around the 16th century.

The Temple of the Life-Giving Spring is located in the Balykli Monastery, which means “red fish” in Turkish. There is a folk legend that the fish that were once found in the font of the Life-Giving Spring were unusually red. The monastery is quite far from the Patriarchate, outside the ancient city walls built by Emperor Theodosius II in the 5th century. The monastery buildings that now stand above the source were built late - in the 18th-20th centuries, and people are rarely allowed into the source itself: on Bright Week and on other special days. But bubbles of water from the Life-Giving Spring stand at large quantities in the vestibule of the temple. From here, from the vestibule of the temple, you can get into a small patio, which in the last two centuries has become the resting place of the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

Among the places memorable to Christians in Istanbul there is also the Studite Monastery, the abbot of which was St. Theodore the Studite, and the Church of John the Baptist in Trulla, where the Fifth-Sixth or Trullo Council took place in 691-92, and the Church of St. mts. Irina, where three hundred years earlier the First Ecumenical Council took place. But, alas, now minarets rise above all these glorious buildings...