Built in 1292, the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos in Istanbul is a fine example of late Byzantine architecture and art. It has been a mosque (called Fethiye Camii) since 1591, but still contains some well-preserved Byzantine mosaics. The church is a little off the beaten track, but is not too far from the more famous Kariye Camii.

History of Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church)

The church of Theotokos Pammakaristos was founded in 1292 by John Comnenus and his wife Anna Doukaina. In 1315, a small mortuary chapel was added for Michael Glabas Ducas, a former general, and his family.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate used this church as its headquarters from 1456 to 1586.

In 1591, Murat III converted the church into a mosque, naming it "Fethiye" in memory of his conquest of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Today the building is a museum.

What to See at Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church)

Most of the interior walls of the church were removed to create a large prayer space for the mosque, but most of the original architecture remains intact and 14th-century Byzantine mosaics have survived in the funerary chapel (parakklesion) added in 1315. The mosaics date from about 1320.

The central dome of the parakklesion has a fine mosaic of Christ Pantocrator surrounded by prophets, each labeled with their Greek name and holding banners with Greek phrases:

On the right wall as one faces the apse, near the central dome, is a mosaic of the Baptism of Christ. In addition to Jesus and John the Baptist, the scene includes four angels, a man pouring out water, and a young figure inside a shell. Fish can be seen in the river water.

The apse bears a Deesis mosaic (Christ with the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist) and the chapel's dedicatory inscription: "The nun Marta gave the promise of salvation in the name of her husband, the victorious and deserving protostrator Michael Glabas Ducas." The vault above has mosaics of the Archangels Michael, Uriel, Raphael and Gabriel.

The vaults on both sides of the apse had mosaic portraits of 13 Orthodox bishops; seven of them survive. All hold Bibles and wear vestments embroidered with crosses. The bishops include Clement, Jacob, Gregory, Cyril, Athanasius, Ignatius Theophoros, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Thaumaturgus, and Gregory of Agrigentum.

In the southwest corner of the chapel (back of the right aisle when facing the apse) are portraits of six monk saints: Anthony; Euthymius; Sabas; John Climacus; Arsenius; and Chariton.

Quick Facts on Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church)

Site Information
Names:	Church of the Joyous Mother of God · Fethiye Camii · Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church) · Pammakaristos Kilisesi
Country:	Turkey
Categories:	churches; mosques
Dedication:	Virgin Mary
Dates:	1292
Status:	active
Visitor and Contact Information
Coordinates:	41.029093° N, 28.946464° E
Address:	Istanbul, Turkey
Phone:	0212/635-1273 (Ayasofya Museum Directorate)
Hours:	Thu-Tue 9am-5pm
Lodging:	View hotels near Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church)

Note: This information was accurate when first published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours and prices can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

References

1. Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Joyous Mother of God Church, now the Fethiye Camii) - Frommer's Istanbul
2. Informational sign posted at the site.
3. David Talbot Rice, Art of the Byzantine Era (New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997), 233-34.

More Information

• Photos of Fethiye Camii (Pammakaristos Church) - here on Sacred Destinations