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Dedicated to the 2000
th. Birthday of Jesus
Christ
The
Ecumenical
Patriarchate at
Fener, by Golden Horn,
is the heart of
Orthodox Christianity.
After
Costantine the Great's
declaration of
Christianity as the
religion of Roman
Empire, the capital
was moved from Rome to
Byzantium. With the
conquest (1453) of
Ottoman Empire the
seat of Patriarchate
remained in İstanbul.
The
Church commanding a
loyalty about 250
million faithful.
Church
of
Panagia of Blachernae,
the best known and
most celebrated shrine
of the Holy Virgin
located near Golden
Horn. Famed with the
hagiasma (fountain of
holy water), good to
cure health problems,
and the Hagion Lousma
(sacred bath) good to
clean the soul, where
the emperor also came
to purify himself.
St.
Savior in Chora
(Kariye), originally a
Byzantine monastery,
dedicated to Jesus
Christ the Savior,
survived with
fantastic mosaics and
frescoes, portraying
scenes from the Bible,
the life and miracles
of Jesus.
The
monastic complex of
Christ
Pantocrator
(Fethiye) was one of
the largest and best
organized of the
Byzantine period,
comprising two
churches and a
funerary chapel,
baths, a hospice for
the aged, a hospital
and a medical school,
a hostel for
travellers and a
library.
Zoodochos Pege at
Balıklı,
dedicated to the
Mother of God at Pege,
with an underground
cistern, full of gold
fish related to a
well-known miracle,
and the fountain of
holy water, believed
to cure many diseases,
is one of the most
celebrated shrines.
St.
Sergius & Bacchus,
a landmark in
Byzantine
ecclesiastical
architecture. Today it
is known as the
"Little Hagia Sophia"
because its general
plan is a precursor of
the Hagia Sophia.
Hagia
Sophia,
for
many centuries was the
largest church of
Christendom, dedicated
to Divine Wisdom, an
attribute of Christ.
Hagia Sophia played an
important role as
emperors were crowned
and many victories
were celebrated in
this remarkable
building.
Hagia
Eirene,
the old
patriarchal church
with its impressive
size stands next to
Hagia Sophia.
Church
of the
St. Mary Pammacaristos
(Zeyrek), built in XI.
century by John
Comnenus, displaying
the aesthetic
refinement attained to
Paleologan age,
originally belonged to
a convent of nuns.
Housed the
Patriarchate for a
while after the
conquest.
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