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The Pammakaristos Church is a Byzantine church in Istanbul. It was the last pre-Ottoman home of the Ecumenical Patriarchate before being converted into the Fethiye Mosque in 1591. Today, part of it functions as a museum. The building, an important example of Palaiologan architecture, houses the largest collection of Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia and Chora.
Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, the church was later expanded with a side chapel, the parekklesion, dedicated to Christos ho Logos. After the Ottoman conquest, it served as the Patriarchate until 1587, then became a mosque under Sultan Murad III. Significant alterations were made to accommodate Islamic prayer.
Restored in 1949, the parekklesion became a museum. Further renovations began in 2021, and the mosque reopened for prayer in 2022, with restoration completed in 2024. The church originally had a cross-in-square design, later modified under Ottoman rule. The parekklesion retains stunning mosaics, including a Pantocrator dome surrounded by Old Testament prophets and scenes of Christ's Baptism.
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.