Fethiye Mosque is the former Byzantine Church of the Theotokos Pammakaristos, on the hillside above Balat and Fener. Its small side chapel holds some of Istanbul's most refined 14th-century mosaics, and after 1453 the church served for more than 130 years as the seat of the Orthodox Patriarchate before becoming a mosque in 1591.
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The church of the All-Blessed Virgin
Pammakaristos means all-blessed in Greek, one of the titles of the Virgin Mary. The main church is thought to date from the 12th-century Komnenian era and was extensively rebuilt in the late 13th century by the general Michael Glabas Tarchaneiotes. After his death, his widow Maria, who took the monastic name Martha, built a funerary chapel for him around 1310: the parekklesion you visit today.
Running along the chapel's outer cornice is a long Greek verse inscription attributed to the court poet Manuel Philes, expressing Martha's grief for her husband. From the outside, the play of brick and stone in niches and arches, with that ribbon of poetry above, is a fine example of late Byzantine facade design.
From patriarchate to mosque
Soon after 1453, Patriarch Gennadios Scholarios moved the patriarchate here from the Church of the Holy Apostles. Tradition says Mehmed II visited Pammakaristos to discuss the Christian faith with Gennadios. It remained the patriarchate until 1587; after brief stays in other churches, the patriarchate settled at its present home in Fener.
In 1591 Murad III converted the church into a mosque and named it Fethiye, the Mosque of Conquest, to celebrate victories in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Interior walls of the main church were removed to create a larger prayer hall, so little of the Byzantine layout can be read there, but the side chapel was kept separate and its mosaics survived.
The mosaics of the side chapel
- Christ Pantokrator in the dome: ringed by twelve Old Testament prophets holding scrolls.
- Deesis in the apse: Christ Hyperagathos, the Supremely Good, flanked by the Virgin and John the Baptist, with remarkably tender faces on a gold ground.
- The Baptism of Christ: rippling waters of the Jordan and attendant angels.
- Bishops and monks: standing saints on the walls, small in scale but exquisitely detailed.
Visiting today: mosque and museum
The main building is a working neighbourhood mosque. The mosaic chapel is arranged as a separate, ticketed museum section with its own entrance, and it can be closed at times for restoration work, so check the current situation with official sources before you go.
The chapel is tiny, which is exactly its charm: you can study the mosaics at close range. Because it is contemporary with the Chora Church, seeing both on the same day makes for a rewarding comparison.
Getting there from Sareban Hotel
From the hotel, take the T1 tram to Eminönü and board the Golden Horn ferry to Fener or Balat, then walk up a short but steep hill to the mosque. The ferry ride is half the fun; see our ferry guide. Buses along the Golden Horn shore from Eminönü, or a taxi, also work well.
From the mosque, wander down through the colourful streets of Balat and Fener to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Bulgarian St Stephen Church for an easy half-day.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Fethiye?
When Murad III converted the church in 1591, he named it the Mosque of Conquest to mark victories in his Caucasus campaigns.
Where exactly are the mosaics?
In the side chapel on the south side of the building, which has its own entrance and operates as a ticketed museum section.
Can I walk from here to the Chora Church?
Yes. It is an uphill but pleasant walk through the upper lanes of Balat.
