Imaret Mosque

The old Imaret Mosque in Istanbul is known as the Pantepoptes Monastery Church in the past. It is among the new places of the city from the Eastern Roman period. The building was completed between 1081 and 1087. It is known that the church was built by I. Aleksiod. He is also the founder of the Komnenian dynasty. The building became the almshouse of the Zeyrek Mosque, which was used as a madrasah during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror. When madrasahs were built at that time, this place was also converted into a mosque.

The Imaret Mosque, located in the district of Fatih, on the part of the Golden Horn facing the Marmara, is sometimes referred to as the "Imaret-i Atik Mosque". The mosque is dedicated to Jesus when it was a monastery. Due to his attitude in the uprisings in 1181, Teodosios was imprisoned as a punishment. When the Crusaders controlled Istanbul, they gave the building to the monastery of a religious order in Venice. Nevertheless, when Istanbul was captured by the Byzantines in 1261, the monastery returns to its former state. According to some written records, there are very valuable manuscripts of that period in the monastery. The building is transformed until the Fatih Complex is built.

According to the information in its inscription, there are cells from the old monastery in the western and northern parts of the Imaret Mosque. This subject is explained in detail in the charter. The fact that it is located on the shores of the Golden Horn makes this place a little more privileged. During the time of the Imaret Mosque, it was severely damaged by the fires that escalated towards Fatih. Post-fire expenses are covered from the treasury. It is not known exactly when this repair took place. In the photos taken in the 1930s, the minaret of the mosque is in ruins. Despite this, its interior parts are suitable for praying.

Both the entrance section and its surroundings are surrounded by wooden houses of that period. In the 1950s, the mosque was used as a Quran course. In this process, the interior of the building is used as a dormitory and the narthex is used as a dining hall. Architect Fikret Bey undertakes the repair of the mosque in the 1970s and ensures that it regains its original appearance.