The Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring

The Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring, which is Moni tis Theotoku tis Pigis in Greek, is located in the neighbourhood of Balıklı within the borders of the district of Zeytinburnu in Istanbul. The monastery, a typical Greek Orthodox sanctuary, was built by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I between 559 and 560.

There is Armenian cemetery on the left side and Manastir Cafe ahead of historical Monastery of the Mother of God at the spring that was rebuilt in 1835 corresponding to the Ottoman period because it ruined over time. The monastery, which you can visit free of charge before 04:00 pm, also has a magnificent holy spring. Those who visit Monastery of the Mother of God at the spring, which has still fish in its holy spring and which is believed to be healing throughout the history, filled the holy spring water into bottles.

The monastery is not only the church building, but also the part where the nuns stay and the dormitory where Orthodox people from all over the world can reside, and it accommodates the tombs of important names. Greek Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring with many monuments worth photographing in its courtyard was severely damaged on 6 – 7 September 1955 and subsequently underwent a comprehensive restoration. There are Christian and Byzantine symbols as well as monuments of the deceased on the tombs in the monastery.

Merkez Efendi Mosque very close to Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring, which impresses you once you enter although it looks ragged and ancient at first glance, is a structure worth seeing. It is very easy to reach by tramway to Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring, whose visitors are mostly Armenians and Greeks.