Google and Real Turkey

Özel Arama
I am a citizen of Istanbul and you can find my recommendations regarding what you should do during your stay at Istanbul.

You know, most of the tourists just visit the most popular places and return to their countries without experiencing the real city life.

The objective of my blog is to help you to see the real city life in Istanbul.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Zeyrek Mosque


The Zeyrek Mosque in Istanbul represents the largest and most significant monument in the city to survive from from the Middle Byzantine period. Built originally ca. 1118-36 by John II and Eirene Komnenos as three large, interconnected churches, the complex served as the core of the famed Pantokrator Monastery, an important site of Christian veneration, and as a imperial mausoleum, housing more than a dozen tombs of the rulers of an empire. The Pantokrator also played key role during the Latin Occupation (1204-61), as well as during Ottoman transformation of city following the conquest in 1453, when it was converted to a mosque.Although neglected in recent years, the Zeyrek Mosque retains its striking appearance: three great buildings side-by-side, topped by undulating vaults and five distinctive domes, with an irregular row of apses along its east façade, all decorated with niches and intricate brickwork. Stylistically, the building marks a critical point in the development of Byzantine architecture, as it shifts from monumentality toward complexity as the primary mode of visual expression.

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