Chapel of Saint Michael

May 21, 2010 00:15 by haci

The Mosque viewed from north east. From left to right, one can see the apses of the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Imperial Chapel and the Church of the Theotokos Eleousa.

Location
The complex is placed in the district of Fatih, in a popular neighborhood which got its name (Zeyrek) from the Mosque, and less than one km to the southeast of Eski Imaret Mosque. It is picturesque but (as of 2007) decayed and dangerous in the night hours.

History
Between 1118 and 1124 Byzantine Empress Eirene Komnena built a monastery on this site dedicated to Christ Pantokrator.The monastery consisted of a main church, also dedicated to the Pantokrator, a library and a hospital.

After the death of his wife, shortly after 1124, Emperor John II Komnenos built another church to the north of the first dedicated to the Theotokos Eleousa ("the merciful"), and finally (the terminus ante quem is 1136 ) connected the two shrines with a chapel (dedicated to Saint Michael ), which became the imperial mausoleum (heroon) of the Komnenos and Palaiologos dynasties.Besides many Byzantine dignitaries, Emperor John II and his wife Eirene, Empress Bertha of Sulzbach (also known as Eirene, and wife of Manuel I Komnenos), and Emperor John V Palaiologos were buried here.