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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Studios Manastiri (Imrahor Camisi) |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Church |
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Plan Type:
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Basilica |
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Year of Costruction:
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454 - 463 |
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Phase:
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Early |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey Excavation Restoration |
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Altitude:
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15 |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Istanbul |
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District:
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Fatih |
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Village:
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Imrahor Ilyasbey Mah. |
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Antique Name:
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Constantinople |
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| Location: It is located on the Mühendis Ali Street of the Imrahor Avenue in the Yedikule Quarter of the Fatih District in Istanbul. |
| Geography and Environment: The oldest remaining church of Istanbul, the Monastery of Stoudios (Imrahor Mosque) is in ruins at present. It was one of the most important monasteries during the Byzantine Period, and it became famous during the period of Theodores Studites (798-826), who was, later on, recognized as a saint. It is 160 m far from from the seawalls of Marmara, and stands 600 m to the northeast of the Porta Aurea, which is called the Golden Gate, the most significant gate of the city. |
| Research and Excavation: R.G. de Clavijo, who visited the sanctuary in 1403 provided a detailed description of the building [Kuban 1996]. It was described together with its enclosing walls in the map of Constantinopolis drawn by the Italian Christophoro Buondelmonti in the early 15th century. P. Gilles, who visited the building in the 16th century, points out the statues and reliefs on the left side of the entrance gate [Kuban 1996], while S. Gerlach mentions the presence of the Byzantine paintings and mosaics on the interior walls [Müller-Wiener 2001]. The sanctuary was surveyed and excavated by the Russian Archaeological Institute under the leadership of B.A. Pantchenko between 1908-1909, and it was restored in 1955 and 1980 [Tamer 2003]. Several measured drawings of the structure were published by C. Gurlitt, A. van Millingen, R. Traquair, J. Ebersolt and A. Thiers. |
| Description: Building Phases: Built between 454-463 [Müller-Wiener 2001:147], it was dilapidated by neglect and abandoned during the Latin invasion (1204-1261). The church of the monastery was renovated by Constantine Palaiologos in 1293, and converted into a mosque in 1486. The monastery near the sanctuary was used as a quarry for the construction of a nearby mansion in the Topkapi Palace in the early 16th century [Müller-Wiener 2001:147-150]. Suffered from a fire in 1782, it was restored between 1804-1805, and was in use for worshipping until the early 20th century. Then, it was damaged during the earthquake of 1894 and, partially collapsed in 1908. Sustaining a grave damage as a result of the fire in 1920, it was abandoned completely in ruins, and never used again [Eyice 1994k:166-168]. Architectural Features: It has a basilical plan with three naves. The northern wall, which is partly extant, divides the atrium and the narthex by an entrance consisting of four columns. It is obvious that the narthex had wooden stairs on both ends, which provided access to the upper storeys. The inner bay is accessible from three gates. The central nave is 12.7 m wide while the lateral ones are 4.6 m wide. With a total nave length of 25.35 m, the apse has a crypta in cross form. It is known that it originally had a synthronon [Müller-Wiener 2001:147, pics. 138-148]. The main bay was divided into three naves by two colonnades, each with seven columns made of green breccia. The right colonnade probably collapsed during the earthquake either in 1766 or in 1782. The semi-circular drum of the apse, which constitutes a triangular projection on the outside, has an Ottoman baroque style. Presumably having a wooden hipped roof, it remained roofless following the latest fire it sustained [Mathews 1976:143-144, pics. 15.1-15.29; van Millingen 1974:35-55, pics. 12-19]. Decorative Features: The marble workmanship, capitals, window arches, fascia and corniches are among the significant examples of the 5th century masonry. The mosaics of the semi-circular apse referred in the ancient sources have now disappeared. The mosaic beads found inside the debris and the mosaic fragment in the Benaki Museum in Athens at present provide evidence for the presence of such a decoration. Another decorative example of the building is the opus sectile pavement, which consists of figures in white, placed in red porphyry using inlayed technique on the corners, and of small compositions, which were all made following the Latin invasion [Demiriz 2002:57-67]. |
| Finds: The excavations in 1909 yielded classic decorations, monumental composite columns, engraved architraves, door jambs, and wall coatings in marble [Kuban 1996]. Also found are the crypt of the building, and limestone reliefs dating from the 6th century, which were used as closures for sarcophagus in the Middle Age [Müller-Wiener 2001]. |
| Interpretation: R. Krautheimer suggested that the walls of the central nave were covered with marbles, and the walls of the lateral naves were painted, and the walls of the apse were covered with mosaics. Furthermore, he compares the Imrahor Mosque with the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and Chalkopratia in plan, and with the Alahan Monastery in decorations, and he points out the similarity of its façade to the Hagia Sophia I [Krautheimer 1986]. In the mean time, Müller-Wiener claim that the substructure with an apse consisting of two columns may have belonged to the Theotocus Chapel, which was part of the monastery [Müller-Wiener 2001]. |
| Destruction: The building is covered with vegetation inside and this vegetation damaged the opus sectile pavement, and eventually caused it to rot. The opus sectile pavement is unprotected and uncovered. The entrance of the crypt of the apse little by little collapses. A fig tree grows in the crypt of the structure. The cuffs of the columns in narthex section corroded and broke. The steel constructed support of the architrave in the north of the building is insufficient. Architrave is in pieces about to collapse. Architectural plastic elements are dispersed all around in the environs. The trees in the courtyard of the building are adjacent to the narthex wall and these seriously damage the wall. The cistern adjacent to the south of the building almost entirely collapsed, and large trees grew [TAYEx 16.09.2008]. |
