Hagia Irene Church, Istanbul
From Wikipedia:
Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (Greek: Αγία Ειρήνη, Turkish: Aya İrini) is a former Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It is open as a museum every day except Monday, but requires special permission for admission.
The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Constantinople. Roman emperor Constantine I commissioned the Hagia Irene church in the 4th century and Justinian I later had the church restored. It served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built.
Dating in its present form largely from the 8th century, Hagia Irene is the only example of a Byzantine church in the city retaining its original atrium. A great cross above the main narthex, where the image of the Theotokos was usually placed in Byzantine tradition, is a unique vestige of the Iconoclastic art.
The Janissaries (Ottoman soldiers) used the church as an armoury after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Today, the museum serves mainly as a concert hall for classical music performances due to its extraordinary acoustic characteristic and impressive atmosphere. Most of the concerts of the Istanbul International Music Festival in summer time are being held here since 1980.
The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Constantinople. Roman emperor Constantine I commissioned the Hagia Irene church in the 4th century and Justinian I later had the church restored. It served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built.
Dating in its present form largely from the 8th century, Hagia Irene is the only example of a Byzantine church in the city retaining its original atrium. A great cross above the main narthex, where the image of the Theotokos was usually placed in Byzantine tradition, is a unique vestige of the Iconoclastic art.
The Janissaries (Ottoman soldiers) used the church as an armoury after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Today, the museum serves mainly as a concert hall for classical music performances due to its extraordinary acoustic characteristic and impressive atmosphere. Most of the concerts of the Istanbul International Music Festival in summer time are being held here since 1980.
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