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Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator)
The Zeyrek Mosque, the former Monastery of the Pantokrator, is in the Fatih district and is the best surviving example of Middle Byzantine architecture in Istanbul. Between 1118 and 1124 the Empress Irene of Hungary founded a monastery dedicated to Christ Pantokrator, with a church, a library and a hospital. After 1134 John II Komnenos added a second church, dedicated to the Theotokos Eleousa, and around 1136 the two were joined by a chapel of St Michael that served as an imperial mausoleum for the Komnenoi and the Palaiologoi. After the Ottoman conquest, the main church was turned into a mosque and took the name of the scholar Molla Zeyrek. The complex consists of three cruciform buildings with central domes; the seven-sided polygonal apses with triple windows and the brickwork with recessed mortar joints stand out. The opus sectile floors and the original stained glass have been lost or are covered over. It has been restored and is once again used for prayer.
Add it to your trip on Wanloria →Things to do at Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator): 3 missions
- Tell the three churches of the complex apartIdentify the three cruciform structures (Pantokrator, Eleousa and the central chapel) and their domes.
- Observe the Byzantine brick with recessed jointsGet close to a wall and observe the brickwork technique with recessed joints typical of the Middle Byzantine period.
- Find the seven-sided apsesWalk around the building and find a polygonal apse with its triple windows.
Near Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator)
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need for Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator)?
Allow about 45 min for the visit.
What is there to do at Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator)?
Tell the three churches of the complex apart, Observe the Byzantine brick with recessed joints and Find the seven-sided apses.
What is there to see near Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator)?
Vefa Bozacısı (500 m), Fatih Mosque (629 m) and Süleymaniye Mosque (689 m).
Source: Wikipedia - Mezquita de Zeyrek