Cathedral Church of St George

So wonderful place. The place of our soul! Affordable for visitors for free. There are many Christian's reliques. It' s an honour to get touch with them.

Very beautiful church and a very important place and part of Istanbul history, it’s really beautiful from inside and very humble architecture from outside, i think everyone should pay a visit to this church and appreciate the history of it.

The Cathedral Church of St. George (a.k.a. Yorgi Kilisesi) is located in the Fener (Phanar) district, and is the principal Eastern Orthodox cathedral, seat of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate since 1600. (The Patriarch is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, equivalent to the Pope for Roman Catholics). Prior to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church of the Patriarchate was the Hagia Sophia (a.k.a. the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom). After the conquest, the surviving Eastren Orthodox believers were considered dhimmis, non- Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection. Ottoman law required that all non-Islamic buildings must be smaller and humbler than corresponding Islamic buildings such as mosques. Patriarch Matthew II (1596–1603) moved the Patriarchate to the former convent of St George in the Phanar around 1600. This district then became the center of Greek Christian life in Constantinople. St. George's cathedral has been damaged by fire and reconstructed many times and little remains of its original structure. Most of the current building dates from rebuilding by Patriarch Gregory V in 1797; it was damaged by a fire in 1941 and restored in 1991. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Gorge, is a three-aisled basilica with three semicircular apses on the east side and a transverse narthex on the west. The modest facade dates from the mid-19th century with neo-classical influences. The cathedral interior is divided into three aisles by colonnades, with the tall pews of ebony wood placed along the line of the columns. The interior decoration is lavish, with gilded plaster work, crystal chandeliers, and a five-tiered iconostasis. The most precious objects, saved from the fires, are the patriarchal throne, which is believed to date from the 5th century, some rare mosaic icons and relics of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Some of the bones of these two saints, which were looted from Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, were returned to the Church of St George by Pope John Paul II in 2004. Behind the cathedral are the offices of the Patriarchate, the Patriarchate library, and a small garden. The cathedral is open to the public from 8.30 am to 4 pm, with strict security screening. There is no entry fee, although a donation is greatly appreciated.

If you are in Istanbul, you should not miss this cathedral. It’s very peaceful and has history. Highly decorated and must see attractions. There are lots of cafe and restaurants nearby in the street, music, antiques, cultural and souvenir and art. We visited Portofenari cafe and had light vegetarian meal. Food and service was excellent. Akif is nice host, he served with smiles

The Church of St. George (Turkish: Aya Yorgi Kilisesi) is the principal Orthodox cathedral, the fifth and last center of Ecumenical Patriarchate (second largest Christian Church) since 1600. It's an important part of Istanbul's history with marvelous iconostasis and two rare mosaic icons from 11th century, Panagia Pammakaristos and St. John the Baptist. And you can also see one of the most treasured and ancient relics of the patriarchal church; remnant of the column where Christ was bound and whipped by Roman soldiers during his passion and before his crucifixion.