This is the story of a holy place which used to be a monastery named Pantokrator during the Byzantine Era. The name referred to Jesus who was the master of the universe. It is currently located in Zeyrek, Fatih which is inside the old city walls of İstanbul. The Monastery was built in 1136 and functioned as such till Turks conquered the city in 1453.
The opulence of its relics, utensils and icons were so dazzling that Crusaders who sacked the city in 1204 loothed it, taking away all its glory to Venice. We know that part of the Pala D’oro in San Marco Treasury was looted from this majestic Byzantine Monastery. Please, have a look at the delicate details of this pure gold altar made by Byzantine artists, which was once a part of the Pantokrator Monastery.
The Turks turned the Monastery into Zeyrek Mosque after their conquest of the city and it has been functioning as one till this day.
Art historians say that it is the largest Byzantine religious monument in İstanbul following Haghia Sophia. What makes it unique is that it is a beautifully preserved Byzantine Monastery on the outside with a beautiful Mosque in the interior.
The good news is that there are almost always few visitors which can give you a chance to spend some peaceful time inside it unlike Haghia Sophia which has become a tourist attraction for decades making it impossible to have a serene moment inside it.
The pulpit from the Pantokratos Monastery (currently in the San Marco Cathedral in Venice)
We know that there are chambers which ‘host’ the tombs of holy fathers of Constantinople underneath it but they are not open to public.
A glimpse at a one of the chambers below the ancient Monastery
Mosaic floors from the Byzantine Era are covered with rugs but befriending the staff might enable you to have a glimpse at the mosaic floors underneath the carpets.
I would highly recommend you to drop by Zeyrek Mosque to see a holy place with a 900 years of history. And don’t forget to drop by the cafe right across from it for a sip of Turkish coffee overlooking the historical peninsula which has been a witness to thousands of years of history.
Cafe run by the Fatih Municipality right across from the Zeyrek Mosque
