Culture and Religion

Culture and religion, both two things got great relationship thousand years ago, one of the proof is Zeyrek Camii Mosque.
Zeyrek Camii Mosque is a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey who previously served as a church, Church of Pantocrator. The church used to be one of the important historic sites in the Byzantine period.

Dedicated to St. Saviour Pantocrator, this church was founded by the Empress Eirene, wife of John II Comnenus, who completed the southern part of the church before his death in 1124. He was also the first person buried here (sarkofagusnya then moved in 1960 to the Museum of Archaeology. But now in the exonarthex, Ayasofya, Turkey).

As quoted from Sacred-destinations, Thursday (25/08/2011), the northern part of the church was then added by Emperor John II Comnenus after the death of Eirene. The church was dedicated to the Virgin Eleousa. The emperor also has other churches that are connected via a chapel between the northern and southern churches.

The church was later converted into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century. Monastery in it was changed to a madrassa as a place to learn the religion of Islam.

The building is actually a combination of the two churches and a chapel, making it the second largest church in Istanbul after Ayasofya.

In it there are some genuine marble decorations, door frame church, and marble apse. Renovation of this building was still being conducted.

To the east the building is a legacy of Ottoman Konak is then restored and reopened as a restaurant and tea garden, Hane Zeyrek. This place is far from the character of other buildings. Own tea gardens are decorated with some other decoration which origin is unknown.