Church of St. George of Samatya
Encyclopedia
Saint George of Samatya or Surp Kevork (Armenian
: Սամաթիոյ Սուրբ Գէորգ Եկեղեցի; Turkish
name: Sulu Manastiri, meaning: "Water Monastery") is an Armenian
church in Istanbul
.
The edifice, built between 1866 and 1887, has been erected above the substructure of a Byzantine church and monastery built in the eleventh century. The complex, dedicated to St. Mary Peribletos was one of the most important Greek
Orthodox monasteries in Constantinople
. After the Ottoman
conquest of the city in 1453 it was ceded to the Armenian community in Istanbul, and became for a period the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
.
, in the district of Fatih
, in the neighbourhood of Kocamustafapaşa (historically Samatya
), at Marmara Caddesi 79. It lies inside the walled
city, at a short distance from the shore of the Sea of Marmara
. The building is protected by a high wall, and surrounded by other edifices.
, close to an abundant water source
. From this source, still existing, originates the Turkish name of the complex ("Water Monastery").
Not far from these buildings and from the sea walls, on a small plateau on the southern slope of the seventh hill of Constantinople
, in the Xerolophos quartier, Byzantine Emperor Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–1034) founded a large monastery dedicated to the Theotokos Peribleptos after his unlucky expedition to Syria. The appellation, meaning "conspicuous", "easy to see", originates from its dominating and isolated position. The Emperor spent a great deal of money to erect the building, and was harshly criticized for that. Romanos was buried here in 1034. Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078–1081) repaired the complex in 1080. After his deposition, Nikephoros was obliged by his successor, Alexios I Komnenos
(r. 1081–1118) to become a monk here, and was buried in the church as well.
In the 11th-12th centuries, it was usual for the court to come to the Peribleptos each year to celebrate the candlemas. After the Latin sack of 1204
, the church remained for a short time under Greek control, but was later given to Venetian
Benedictine
monks. After the end of the Latin Empire
, Michael VIII Palaiologos
(r. 1261–1282) restored the church and added in the refectory a mosaic
representing himself with his wife Theodora
and their son Constantine. This mosaic was destroyed in the great fire of Samatya in 1782.
At the end of the thirteenth century a young monk of the monastery, Hylarion, sent to Elegmoi in Bythinia to look after the possessions of the monastery, found the region ravaged by the Turks. He successfully organised the population against the raiders and after confronting them made the area safe again, but that caused a great scandal in Constantinople, since monks were not allowed to fight. After he was forced to go back to the capital, the Turkish pillaging started again, until the inhabitants of Elegmoi sent a petition to Constantinople asking for his return. At the end the Hegumen
of the monastery was forced to give his consent.
The building was damaged in 1402 by fire and lighting. In 1422, Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos
(r. 1391–1425) lived in this monastery during an epidemic and the siege
of the city by the Ottoman
Sultan Murad II
.
), Sultan Mehmed II
(r. 1444–46, 1451–81) ceded the church to the Armenian community, and until 1643/44 the complex was the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
. Other sources report that the building was given to the Armenians in 1643 because of the intercession of an Armenian woman, named Şivekâr, who was a favourite of Sultan Ibrahim I
(r. 1640–1648). During this period several churches were built here. By the middle of the seventeenth century the only Byzantine
building still visible was the refectory.
In 1722 the complex was renovated by the Armenian architect Meldon, but in 1782 everything was destroyed by the great fire of Samatya. The reconstruction took place in 1804.
Between 1866 and 1887 (after another fire in 1877), the church was rebuilt as endowment of Michael Hagopian, and only the foundations of the Byzantine church and remains of the source building were kept in place. Moreover, two large schools were built near the church.
(practically the only extant source about the complex in the Byzantine period), who visited Constantinople in 1402, writes that the plan of St. Mary was a central one, with a square nave surmounted by a dome with an atrium
and side rooms, similar to the contemporary churches of Hosios Loukas
and Daphni Monastery
in Greece. The hemispherical dome – decorated with a mosaic – rested upon eight columns of polychrome Jasper
which sustained four squinch
es. These made a transition from the octagonal base to the square defined by the walls. Recent excavations confirmed the description of Clavijo. The church, whose walls and floor were also covered with jasper slabs, contained several imperial tombs, placed in two side rooms. Its outer walls were richly decorated with paintings representing towns and castles which were endowed to the monastery. A large refectory adorned with a fresco
depicting the Last Supper
, rooms for the monks, gardens and vineyards were part of the complex. In the church were also exhibited several relic
s, among them the body of Saint Gregory.
The present church is a rectangular building, whose sides are about twenty and thirty meters long. It is oriented in SW – NE direction. The church has an apse on the NE side and a Bell-gable
. The interior is covered with a Barrel Vault
and is lavishly decorated. Over the Ayazma, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Istanbul, is built a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner.
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
: Սամաթիոյ Սուրբ Գէորգ Եկեղեցի; Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
name: Sulu Manastiri, meaning: "Water Monastery") is an Armenian
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
church in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
The edifice, built between 1866 and 1887, has been erected above the substructure of a Byzantine church and monastery built in the eleventh century. The complex, dedicated to St. Mary Peribletos was one of the most important Greek
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
Orthodox monasteries in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. After the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
conquest of the city in 1453 it was ceded to the Armenian community in Istanbul, and became for a period the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople also known as Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul is today head of The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople , one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Church but one that has exerted a very significant political role and today still exercises...
.
Location
The church is located in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, in the district of Fatih
Fatih
Fatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
, in the neighbourhood of Kocamustafapaşa (historically Samatya
Samatya
Samatya is a neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the Marmara Sea, and borders to the west on the neighborhood of Yedikule . The name originates from the Greek word Ψαμάθιον Samatya is a neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the Marmara...
), at Marmara Caddesi 79. It lies inside the walled
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
city, at a short distance from the shore of the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
. The building is protected by a high wall, and surrounded by other edifices.
Byzantine period
In the fifth century on this place stood the church of Hagios Stephanos en tais Aurelianai. This church was located near the Helenianai Palace and the monastery of St. DalmatiosDalmatius of Constantinople
Saint Dalmatius was a saint venerated in Constantinople. His feast day was August 3. An archimandrite, he was an opponent of the Nestorians....
, close to an abundant water source
Holy water in Eastern Christianity
Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern-Rite Catholic Christians, holy water is used frequently in rites of blessing and exorcism, and the water for baptism is always sanctified with a special blessing....
. From this source, still existing, originates the Turkish name of the complex ("Water Monastery").
Not far from these buildings and from the sea walls, on a small plateau on the southern slope of the seventh hill of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, in the Xerolophos quartier, Byzantine Emperor Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–1034) founded a large monastery dedicated to the Theotokos Peribleptos after his unlucky expedition to Syria. The appellation, meaning "conspicuous", "easy to see", originates from its dominating and isolated position. The Emperor spent a great deal of money to erect the building, and was harshly criticized for that. Romanos was buried here in 1034. Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078–1081) repaired the complex in 1080. After his deposition, Nikephoros was obliged by his successor, Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...
(r. 1081–1118) to become a monk here, and was buried in the church as well.
In the 11th-12th centuries, it was usual for the court to come to the Peribleptos each year to celebrate the candlemas. After the Latin sack of 1204
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
, the church remained for a short time under Greek control, but was later given to Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monks. After the end of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
, Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
(r. 1261–1282) restored the church and added in the refectory a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
representing himself with his wife Theodora
Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina
Theodora Doukaina Vatatzaina was the Empress consort of Michael VIII Palaiologos.-Family:Theodora was a daughter of Ioannes Doukas Vatatzes and wife Eudokia Angelina. The names of her parents were recorded by George Acropolites.Her paternal grandparents were sebastokrator Isaakios Doukas...
and their son Constantine. This mosaic was destroyed in the great fire of Samatya in 1782.
At the end of the thirteenth century a young monk of the monastery, Hylarion, sent to Elegmoi in Bythinia to look after the possessions of the monastery, found the region ravaged by the Turks. He successfully organised the population against the raiders and after confronting them made the area safe again, but that caused a great scandal in Constantinople, since monks were not allowed to fight. After he was forced to go back to the capital, the Turkish pillaging started again, until the inhabitants of Elegmoi sent a petition to Constantinople asking for his return. At the end the Hegumen
Hegumen
Hegumen, hegumenos, igumen, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called hegumenia or ihumenia . The term means "the one who is in charge", "the leader" in...
of the monastery was forced to give his consent.
The building was damaged in 1402 by fire and lighting. In 1422, Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...
(r. 1391–1425) lived in this monastery during an epidemic and the siege
Siege of Constantinople (1422)
The first full-scale Ottoman Siege of Constantinople took place in 1422 as a result of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II's attempts to interfere in the succession of Ottoman Sultans, after the death of Mehmed I in 1421...
of the city by the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Sultan Murad II
Murad II
Murad II Kodja was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1451 ....
.
Ottoman period
Immediately after the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church continued to belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. According to Müller-Wiener, between 1461 and 1480 (the resettling of Armenians in Samatya occurred in 1458/862 AHHijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...
), Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
(r. 1444–46, 1451–81) ceded the church to the Armenian community, and until 1643/44 the complex was the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople also known as Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul is today head of The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople , one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Church but one that has exerted a very significant political role and today still exercises...
. Other sources report that the building was given to the Armenians in 1643 because of the intercession of an Armenian woman, named Şivekâr, who was a favourite of Sultan Ibrahim I
Ibrahim I
Ibrahim I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1640 until 1648. He was born in Istanbul the son of Ahmed I by Valide Sultan Kadinefendi Kösem Sultan, an ethnic Greek originally named Anastasia...
(r. 1640–1648). During this period several churches were built here. By the middle of the seventeenth century the only Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
building still visible was the refectory.
In 1722 the complex was renovated by the Armenian architect Meldon, but in 1782 everything was destroyed by the great fire of Samatya. The reconstruction took place in 1804.
Between 1866 and 1887 (after another fire in 1877), the church was rebuilt as endowment of Michael Hagopian, and only the foundations of the Byzantine church and remains of the source building were kept in place. Moreover, two large schools were built near the church.
Description
Spanish ambassador Ruy Gonzáles de ClavijoRuy Gonzáles de Clavijo
Ruy González de Clavijo was a Castilian traveller and writer. In 1403-05 Clavijo was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire...
(practically the only extant source about the complex in the Byzantine period), who visited Constantinople in 1402, writes that the plan of St. Mary was a central one, with a square nave surmounted by a dome with an atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
and side rooms, similar to the contemporary churches of Hosios Loukas
Hosios Loukas
Hosios Loukas is an historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art, and has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, along with the monasteries of Nea Moni and Daphnion.-...
and Daphni Monastery
Daphni Monastery
Dafní or Daphní is a monastery 11 km north-west of downtown Athens in Chaidari, south of Athinon Avenue . It is situated near the forest of the same name, on the Sacred Way that led to Eleusis...
in Greece. The hemispherical dome – decorated with a mosaic – rested upon eight columns of polychrome Jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
which sustained four squinch
Squinch
A squinch in architecture is a construction filling in the upper angles of a square room so as to form a base to receive an octagonal or spherical dome...
es. These made a transition from the octagonal base to the square defined by the walls. Recent excavations confirmed the description of Clavijo. The church, whose walls and floor were also covered with jasper slabs, contained several imperial tombs, placed in two side rooms. Its outer walls were richly decorated with paintings representing towns and castles which were endowed to the monastery. A large refectory adorned with a fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
depicting the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, rooms for the monks, gardens and vineyards were part of the complex. In the church were also exhibited several relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s, among them the body of Saint Gregory.
The present church is a rectangular building, whose sides are about twenty and thirty meters long. It is oriented in SW – NE direction. The church has an apse on the NE side and a Bell-gable
Bell-gable
The bell gable is an architectural element crowning at the upper end of the wall of church buildings, usually in lieu of a church tower. It consists of a gable end in stone, with small hollow semi-circular arches where the church bells are placed...
. The interior is covered with a Barrel Vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
and is lavishly decorated. Over the Ayazma, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Istanbul, is built a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner.