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The Zeyrek Mosque (Zeyrek Camii) is one of the most important remaining Byzantine structures in Istanbul. This entry covers the building’s features.
Exonarthex
The Zeyrek Mosque is entered through the exonarthex, which was added by 1136.
The exonarthex has a tile floor and four doors that open to the narthex. The door furthest to the left leads to today’s women’s prayer area. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering the narthex.
Narthex
The narthex was once the main entrance to the original south church. It was later extended to the imperial chapel.
South Church
The south church, dedicated to Christ Pantocrator, is the largest of the three churches that make up the Zeyrek Mosque. It was built on a cross plan and is topped by two domes. A large central dome covers the nave while a smaller dome cover’s the upper gallery. The apse contains seven sides rather than the five sides that had been typical in Byzantine architecture.
Today, the south church serves as the main prayer hall of the mosque. It contains the mihrab and minbar while the sultan’s loge sits above the entrance to the rear. The mihrab and minbar date back to the repairs carried out after the 1766 earthquake.
The sultan’s loge, where the sultan would attend prayers, is a small box situated above the upper gallery. It’s covered with a gilded screen.
The south church was once decorated with rich mosaics and stained glass windows but they have all been lost. The mosaics were still visible in the 18th century but had been defaced centuries earlier. All that’s left from the Byzantine decorations are some marble panels. The mosque is decorated today with floral and geometric patterns.
In one small corner of the south church, the carpet has been pulled back to reveal a section of the opus sectile floor. It was made from small pieces of colored marble and depicts human and animal figures. The entire floor of the building contains this beautiful artwork but it’s all covered by carpet.
Imperial Chapel
The central church, the Imperial Chapel dedicated to Archangel Michael, is covered by barrel vaults and topped by two domes.
Like the south church, the Imperial Chapel is now decorated with floral and geometric patterns. There are no Byzantine decorations. One window sits in the apse. A narrow tunnel leads from either side of the apse to the south and north churches.
A stairway at the rear of the chapel leads up to the women’s prayer area, and visitors can also see the door from the narthex that was a later addition.
North Church
The north church is the second biggest of the churches. It was built on a cross plan and contains one dome. It’s less remarkable than the south church and was built with square pillars.
The apse contains one window, and like the south church, was built with seven sides. A women’s prayer area sits to the rear.
The north church is decorated with floral and geometric patterns, but two Byzantine design elements still exist. One is the frieze running along a section of the eaves on the north wall. The other is a badly damaged fresco.
