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Hagia Irene is an Eastern Orthodox church in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Istanbul. It is the city's oldest church and, along with the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols, one of the few Byzantine churches never converted into a mosque. Used as an arsenal until the 19th century, it now serves as a museum and concert hall.
Believed to stand on a pre-Christian temple, Hagia Irene predates Hagia Sophia, originally built under Constantine I in the 4th century. It served as the Patriarchate's church until Hagia Sophia's completion in 360. Destroyed in the Nika Revolt (532), it was rebuilt by Justinian I in 548 and later restored by Constantine V after an earthquake in 740.
The church follows a basilica plan with a cross-domed gallery level. It features Byzantine mosaics, including an Iconoclastic-era cross, and houses the city's only surviving synthronon (clergy seating).
After Constantinople fell in 1453, Hagia Irene became an arsenal for the Janissaries and later a military museum (1726–1978). Since 1980, it has hosted classical music concerts, particularly during the Istanbul International Music Festival. Open to the public since 2014, it remains a significant historical and cultural site.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.