Introduction
There are many structures in Istanbul built by Greeks after the Fall of 1453. Lots of them have a long and complicated history, and many surviving buildings replace earlier ones destroyed by fires and earthquakes. Like in case of the Armenian churches in Istanbul, the Greek buildings that can be seen today mostly date from the 19th century. Constructions and reconstructions were especially frequent after the end of the Greek War of Independence in 1830.
The most important building in my collection is the Church of Saint George that serves as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Other churches can be found in Greek neighbourhoods such as Phanar (Fener), Tatavla (Kurtuluş), Psamatheia (Samatya) and Neochorion (Yeniköy), on the Princes’ Islands, and elsewhere. Some of them, like the Church of Saint Mary of Blachernae, the Monastery of Saint Mary of the Spring and the Church of Saint Euphemia, have a great historical value. Some are modest neighbourhood churches.
Sites
My collection is in no way complete, but it includes the most important and visible post-1453 Greek buildings in the city. (My portfolios about the Byzantine sites of Istanbul can be found here.) I have not included private buildings in the list as, compared to monasteries, churches, cemeteries and schools, their ‘Greekness’ can be more difficult to identify, especially in a multicultural city like Istanbul. I have organized the buildings by neighbourhood, without paying much attention to the chronology. When it comes to churches and monasteries, I have given both their original Greek names and the English translation, to facilitate finding more information about them (as the church names are sometimes translated and sometimes not in different sources).
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople: Cathedral of Saint George | Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως: Καθεδρικός ναός του Αγίου Γεωργίου | Dr. Sadık Ahmet Caddesi & Yıldırım Caddesi, Fener | 1797
- Phanar Greek Orthodox College | Μεγάλη του Γένους Σχολή | Sancaktar Yokuşu 36, Fener | Konstantinos Dimadis, 1881-1883
- Maraşlı Greek Primary School | Dr. Sadık Ahmet Caddesi 17, Fener | 1900-1901
- Church of Saint Mary the Consoler | Παναγία Παραμυθία | Çimen Sokak 3, Balat | mid-19th century
- Church of Saint John the Baptist | Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος | Mürselpaşa Caddesi 12, Balat | 18th-19th centuries
- Church of Saint Mary of Balinou | Παναγία Μπαλίνου | Mahkeme Altı Caddesi 59, Balat | 1843
- Church of Saint Demetrius of Kanabos in Xyloporta | Ἅγιος Δημήτριος Καναβού τῆς Ξυλόπορτας | Kırkambar Sokak 6, Ayvansaray | 1730
- Church of Saint Mary of Blachernae | Θεοτόκος των Βλαχερνών | Mustafa Paşa Bostanı Sokak & Ayvansaray Kuyusu Sokağı, Ayvansaray | 1867
- Church of Saint Mary of Souda | Παναγία τῆς Σούδας | Eğrikapı Caddesi 11, Ayvansaray | 1830
- Church of Saint Mary of the Heavens | Παναγία τῶν Οὐρανῶν | Özben Sokak 2, Edirnekapı | 1834
- Church of Saint George | Άγιος Γεώργιος | Kaleboyu Caddesi 15, Edirnekapı | Hacı Nikolaos, 1834-1836
- Church of Saint Demetrius | Άγιος Δημήτριος | Prof. Naci Şensoy Caddesi 149, Edirnekapı | 1834
- Church of Saint Nicholas | Άγιος Νικόλαος | Kaynata Sokak 4, Topkapı | Konstantinos Yolasigmazis, 1831
- Monastery of Saint Mary of the Spring | Θεοτόκος τῆς Πηγῆς, Ζωοδόχος Πηγή) | Balıklı Sivrikapı Sokak 3, Balıklı | 1833-1835
- Church of Saint Mary of Belgrade | Παναγία του Βελιγραδίου | Hacı Hamza Mektebi Sokak 61, Yedikule | 1837
- Church of Saint George | Άγιος Γεώργιος | Org. Abdurrahman Nafiz Gürman Caddesi & Büyük Kuleli Sokak, Samatya | 1834
- Church of Saint Menas | Άγιος Μηνάς | Bestekar Hakkı Sokak 1, Samatya | 1833
- Church of the Ascension of Christ | Θεία Ανάληψη | Akıncı Sokak and Büyük Kuleli Sokak, Samatya | 1832
- Church of Saint Nicholas | Άγιος Νικόλαος | Muallim Fevzi Sokak 3, Samatya | 1834
- Church of Saints Constantine and Helen | Άγιοι Κωνσταντίνος και Ελένη | İmrahor İlyasbey Caddesi & Kilise Sokak, Samatya | 1805
- Church of Saint Mary of Hope | Παναγία της Ελπίδας | Gerdanlık Sokak 4/1, Kumkapı | 1895-1896
- Church of the Holy Trinity | Αγία Τριάδα | İstiklal Caddesi, Sıraselviler Caddesi & Meşelik Sokak, Taksim | 1880
- Zappeio School for Girls | Meşelik Sokak 9, Taksim | Ioannis Ioannidis, 1882-1885
- Church of the Presentation of Saint Mary | Εἰσόδια τῆς Θεοτόκου | At the end of Emir Nevruz Sokak, Galatasaray | Hacı Komninos; 1804, 1831, 1860; the bell tower – 1837
- Zografeion Lyceum | Turnacıbaşı Caddesi 15, Galatasaray | Periklis Fotiadis, 1892-1893; enlarged in 1962
- Church of Saints Constantine and Helen | Άγιοι Κωνσταντίνος και Ελένη | Kalyoncu Kulluğu Caddesi & Kamer Bostan Sokak, Tarlabaşı | 1861
- Church of Saint Paraskevi | Αγία Παρασκευή | Kalaycıbahçe Sokak 2, Hasköy | 1724-1752, 1833
- Church of the Annunciation of Saint Mary | Παναγία Ευαγγελίστρια | Irmak Caddesi, Kasap Hurşit Sokak, Mirmiran Sokak & Hacı İlbey Sokak, Dolapdere | 1893
- Church of Saint Athanasius | Άγιος Αθανάσιος | Omuzdaş Sokak 13, Kurtuluş | 1855-1858
- Church of Saint Demetrius | Άγιος Δημήτριος | Between Kurtuluş Caddesi, Safa Meydanı Sokak, Ateşböceği Sokak & Er Meydanı Caddesi, Kurtuluş | 1726 and later
- Church of the Holy Apostles | Δώδεκα Απόστολοι | Avukat Caddesi 27, Feriköy | 1868
- Church of Saint Phocas | Άγιος Φωκάς | Muallim Naci Caddesi 16, Ortaköy | 1856
- Church of Saint Mary of the Bearberries | Παναγία Κουμαριώτισσα | Köybaşı Caddesi, Sarı Asman Sokak & Salkım Küpe Sokak, Yeniköy | 1837
- Church of Saint Nicholas | Άγιος Νικόλαος | Sait Halim Paşa Caddesi & Kürkçü Faik Sokak, Yeniköy | 1818 or 1838
- Church of Saint George | Άγιος Γεώργιος | Simitçi Salih Sokak 5, Yeniköy | 1851
- Zografeion Primary School for Girls | Sait Halim Paşa Caddesi, uphill from the Church of Saint Nicholas, Yeniköy | Konstantinos Dimadis, 1872
- Church of Saint Euphemia | Αγία Ευφημία | Yasa Caddesi & Mühürdar Caddesi, Kadıköy | 1830-1832
- Church of the Holy Trinity | Αγία Τριάδα | General Asım Gündüz Caddesi, Dr. İhsan Ünlüer Sokak, & Hacı Şükrü Sokak, Kadıköy | 1902
- Church of Saint Pantaleon | Άγιος Παντελεήμων | İcadiye Caddesi, Behlül Sokak, Menteş Sokak & Bican Efendi Sokak, Kuzguncuk | 1890-1892; the bell tower – 1911
- Church of Saint George of the Golden Tiles | Άγιος Γεώργιος Χρυσοκεραμιδά | Kuleli Caddesi & Tanrıverdi Sokak, Çengelköy | 1830
- Monastery of Saint George of the Bells | Άγιος Γεώργιος του Κουδουνά | on top of Yücetepe, Büyükada | 1759, 1908
- Monastery of the Divine Transfiguration of the Saviour | Θεία Μεταμόρφωση του Σωτήρος | Kadıyoran Caddesi 90, Büyükada | Vasilis Dimitriou, 1869
- Prinkipo Palace / Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage | on top of İsa Tepesi, Büyükada | Alexandre Vallaury, 1898-1899
- Monastery of Saint Nicholas | Άγιος Νικόλαος | Karacabey Mevkii Yolu, Büyükada | 1860 and later
- Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Cemetery
- Church of Saint Demetrius | Άγιος Δημήτριος | Pervane Sokak 12, Büyükada | Fistikos Kalfa (?), 1856-1860
- Church of the Dormition of Saint Mary | Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου | at the corner of Kıvılcım Sokak and Lonca Sokak, Büyükada | 1793, 1871
- Theological School of Halki | on top of Ümit Tepesi, Heybeliada | Church of the Holy Trinity – 17th century; other buildings – Periklis Fotiadis, 1896
- Greek Primary School of Halki | Heybeli Mektep Sokak & 1. Sokak, Heybeliada | Ioannis Kalfas, 1849
- Church of Saint Nicholas | Άγιος Νικόλαος | İmralı Sokak & İşgüzar Sokak, Heybeliada | Hacı Stefani Gaytanki Kalfa (?), 1857
- Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ | Θεοκορυφώτος | on top of the Christos Tepesi, Burgazada | 1869
- Monastery of Saint George of Karypis | Άγιος Γεώργιος Καρύπης | Gönüllü Caddesi 74, Burgazada | 1897
- Church of Saint John the Baptist | Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος | Yenice Sokak, Burgazada | Nikolaos Dimadis, 1899
- Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour | Μεταμόρφωση του Σωτήρος | Ağ Yasar Sokak & Manastır Caddesi, Kınalıada | 1722
- Church of the Nativity of Saint Mary | Γενέθλιο της Θεοτόκου | Kınalı Bağı 11, Kınalıada | 1886
Map
See the mentioned sites on the map.
Portfolio 1: Historical Peninsula
Portfolio 2: European Side
Portfolio 3: Asian Side
Portfolio 4: Princes’ Islands
Photos
Taken in November and December 2015, January 2016 and September, October and November 2018