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The Monastery of the Life-giving Spring (Μονή της Ζωοδόχου Πηγής Μπαλουκλή / Balıklı Meryem Ana Rum Manastiri) is one of the most important Orthodox Christian pilgrimage sites in Istanbul, Turkey. It sits outside the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople in the Balıklı area of the Zeytinburnu district.
Origins
There are two stories detailing the foundation of the monastery. The first story, chronicled by 6th century historian Procopius (500-570), credits Emperor Justinian I. While hunting outside the city walls, Justinian had a vision of a chapel with a priest and a large congregation around a holy spring of miracles. He built the first monastery on the site using surplus materials from Hagia Sophia. 11th century Byzantine historian George Kedrenos dated the construction between 559 and 560.
The second story, by 14th century Greek ecclesiastical historian Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos, credits Emperor Leo I the Thracian. When Leo I was a simple soldier in the early 5th century, he met a blind man at the Golden Gate who asked him for a drink of water. As Leo I searched for water, a voice directed him to the spring and instructed him to build a church on the site when he would become emperor.
The spring is also mentioned as the origin for the Turkish name of the neighborhood, Balıklı, which translates to place of the fishes. According to legend, on the day Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, a monk was frying fish near the spring. When he heard the city had fallen, he refused to believe it unless the fish in the pan came back to life. The fish immediately jumped out of the pan into the spring and began swimming. This legend is accepted by both Christians and Muslims alike.
History
The Monastery of the Life-giving Spring has had a long and colorful history. Ever since it was first built, it has been damaged, destroyed, burned, rebuilt, repaired, and expanded over the centuries.
In 790, Empress Irene repaired the church after an earthquake, as did Emperor Basil I the Macedonian in 869. On September 7, 924, Tsar Simeon I of Bulgaria burned it to the ground, and it was promptly rebuilt by Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos. Three years later, Simeon’s son Peter married Maria, the niece of Romanos I.
In 1078, the monastery became a place of exile when George Monomachos was banished there. Emperor Alexios I Komnenos confined philosopher John Italus there in the late 11th century for his neoplatonic theories.
The Monastery of the Life-giving Spring was used twice as a military base for attacks on Constantinople. In 1328, Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos used it to attack the city during the Byzantine Civil War of 1321-1328. Sultan Murad II camped there during an Ottoman siege on the city in 1422.
By 1547, the monastery had disappeared and only the spring existed, but pilgrims would still visit. It was controlled by Turkish guards, who would collect a tax from pilgrims to pay for maintenance of prisons. In 1727, Metropolitan Nikodemos of Delkos and Neochorion built a small chapel atop the spring.
The spring was poisoned and the chapel was destroyed by the Janissaries in 1821 in retaliation for the Greek Revolution. The current church on the site was built between 1833 and 1835. Since then, Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople have been buried in the cemetery on the grounds of the monastery.
Traditions
During Byzantine times, the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring was one of the most important religious sites in Constantinople. Emperors would visit the monastery several times a year for various religious ceremonies and feast days, including the Friday of Easter week, the Feast of the Ascension, the Wedding at Cana (January 8), and the Miracle of Leo I (August 16). In addition, each future empress coming to Constantinople for her wedding was received at the monastery by her future spouse.
Courtyard
The gates of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring open to a large courtyard, where there are some statues, a tomb, and benches to sit. It’s a very peaceful setting.
The courtyard is paved with 19th century tombstones. Some are written in Karamanli Turkish, which is essentially a dialect of Turkish written in Greek script. Karamanlides are Turkish-speaking Orthodox Christians from Cappadocia.
Church
The large church is rectangular in shape and contains a narthex and a nave with three aisles.
The nave is beautifully decorated and contains historic icons and a pulpit made of marble. It’s topped with a vaulted ceiling. The church suffered terrible damage during the 1955 Istanbul Pogrom.
Holy Spring
The holy spring is accessed via a stairwell from the courtyard. It descends to a small chapel where the spring is located. Pilgrims from around the world visit the spring every day of the year to drink and collect holy water.
The spring is covered by a marble fountain flanked by stairs on each side. The icon of the Zoodochos Pege (Life-giving Spring) sits behind the fountain.
Cemeteries
Just outside the complex is the Balıklı Armenian Cemetery (Balıklı Ermeni Mezarlığı) to the west and the Balıklı Greek Cemetery (Balıklı Rum Mezarlığı) to the east. These are two of the largest and most important Christian cemeteries in Istanbul.
The Armenian cemetery is one of the two oldest in Istanbul, dating back to 1554. To the right of the entrance is the Surp Sarkis Chapel (Surp Sarkis Şapeli), which was completed in 1985. Prominent burials include members of the Zildjian family of cymbal makers, poet Misak Metsarents (1886-1908), architect Hagop Kalfa (1738-1803), and poet Yeremya Çelebi Kömürcyan (1637-1695).
