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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 of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
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 of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
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.
Byzantine Traditions at the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
During the Byzantine period, 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 of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
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 at the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
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 Life-giving 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.
Cemetery at the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring
The cemetery at the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring was established after 1835. Since then, it has been the burial place of the Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople. It’s also the final resting place of elite Constantinople Greeks, priests, and bishops.
Most of the tombs are made of marble and date between the 19th and 20th centuries. Besides the Patriarchs, priests, and bishops, there are several beautiful tombs belonging to wealthy members of the Greek community as well as benefactors of the monastery.
The church and cemetery of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring suffered terrible damage during the Istanbul Pogrom of 1955. Many of the graves were destroyed. The sarcophagi of the Patriarchs were opened and their remains were scattered. All of the damage has since been repaired.
Tombs of the Ecumenical Patriarchs
16 Ecumenical Patriarchs have been buried at the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring since 1842. 15 are still buried there while one was moved elsewhere. Patriarchs buried there are Anthimos V (1841-1842); Germanos IV (1842-1845, 1852-1855); Meletios III (1845); Joachim II (1860-1863, 1873-1878); Joachim III (1878-1884, 1901-1912); Dionysios V (1887-1891); Anthimos VII (1895-1897); Gregory VII (1923-1924); Constantine VI (1925); Basil III (1925-1929); Photios II (1929-1935); Benjamin I (1936-1946); Maximos V (1946-1948); Athenagoras I (1948-1972); and Demetrios I (1972-1991). I’ll talk briefly about the Patriarchs below followed by a photo of their sarcophagus.
Constantios I (242nd Ecumenical Patriarch)
Constantios I (b. 1770, Constantinople – d. 1859, Constantinople) served as Patriarch from July 6, 1830, until he resigned on August 18, 1834. Before that, he spent 25 years as the Archbishop of Sinai. In 1865, his remains were transferred to Saint Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai. He’s the only Patriarch to have had his remains moved to another location.
Anthimos V (246th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Anthimos V (b. 1779, Tekirdağ – d. 1842, Constantinople) served as Patriarch for 13 months from May 6, 1841, to June 12, 1842. Before that, he served as Metropolitan of Agathoupolis, Anchialos (Pomorie, Bulgaria) and Cyzicus. He was dismissed from his post by Sultan Abdülmecid I.
Germanos IV (247th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Germanos IV (b. 1790, Constantinople – d. 1853, Constantinople) served two terms as Patriarch, from June 14, 1842, to April 18, 1845, and again from November 13, 1852, to September 28, 1853. Before that, he served as Metropolitan of Vidin, Drama, and Derkoi. He was the founder of the Halki Theological Seminary on the island of Heybeliada. (Note: the tombstone below is completely illegible, but since all the other Patriarchs’ tombs have been accounted for, I can assume this one belongs to Germanos IV.)
Meletios III (248th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Meletios III (b. 1772, Kea – d. 1845, Constantinople) served as Patriarch from April 18, 1845, until his death seven months later on November 28. Before that, he served as Metropolitan of Amasya, Thessaloniki, and Cyzicus. In his short time as Patriarch, he was able to successfully change the head coverings of Armenian Orthodox priests.
Joachim II (251st Ecumenical Patriarch)
Joachim II (b. 1802, Kallimasia, Chios – d. 1878, Constantinople) served two terms as Patriarch. The first term was from October 8, 1860, until he resigned on August 18, 1863. The second term was from November 23, 1873, to August 5, 1878. Before his first term, he served as the Metropolitan of Ioannina twice and then as the Metropolitan of Cyzicus for 15 years. His secular name was Ioannis Kokkodis. In 1876, he donated his personal home to the Ioakimion School for Girls.
Joachim III (253rd Ecumenical Patriarch)
Joachim III (b. 1834, Constantinople – d. 1912, Constantinople) was one of the most effective Patriarchs of modern times. His birth surname was either Devetzis (Δεβετζής) or Demetriadis (Δημητριάδης), and before his first term as Patriarch, he served as Metropolitan of Varna and Thessaloniki.
During his first term, which started on October 16, 1878, he improved the financial state of the Patriarchate and recognized the autocephaly of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1879. In 1880, he founded Truth magazine, established the Patriarchal Library, opened the Ioakimion School for Girls, and laid the foundation for the Great School of the Nation.
Joachim III was forced to resign on April 11, 1884, after voicing his displeasure of the Ottoman government’s demand to abolish privileges granted to the Orthodox Church. He then toured the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch before spending 12 years on Mount Athos.
Joachim III served as Patriarch again from June 7, 1901, to November 26, 1912. During this term, he established orphanages on the Princes’ Islands. He earned the nickname Joachim the Magnificent for his charitable works. Throughout his time as Patriarch, Joachim III was unable to find a solution to the Bulgarian Schism.
Dionysios V (255th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Dionysios V (b. 1820, Edirne – d. 1891, Constantinople) served as Patriarch from February 4, 1887, to August 25, 1891. Before his term as Patriarch, he was the Metropolitan of Crete, Didymoteicho, Adrianople (Edirne), and Nicaea (Iznik). His birth name was Dionysios Haritonidis (Διονύσιος Χαριτωνίδης), and he was considered to be an authoritarian.
Anthimos VII (257th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Anthimos VII (b. 1832, Plesio, Greece – d. 1913, Şişli, Constantinople) served as Patriarch from February 1, 1895, to February 10, 1897. Before that, he served as the Metropolitan of Paramythia, Ainos (Enez), Anchialos, and Leros and Kalymnos. During his term as Patriarch, the new building of the Halki Theological Seminary opened. He was forced to resign after losing the confidence of the Holy and Sacred Synod, and then retired to the island of Antigone (Burgazada). His birth name was Angelos Tsatsos (Άγγελος Τσάτσος).
Gregory VII (261st Ecumenical Patriarch)
Gregory VII (b. 1850, Sifnos – d. 1924, Istanbul) served as Patriarch from December 6, 1923, until he died of a massive heart attack on November 17, 1924. During his term, he controversially adopted the Gregorian calendar to align the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople with the West. He also recognized the autocephaly of the Church of Poland and established the Metropolises of the Princes’ Islands, Central Europe, and Australia. Before serving as Patriarch, he was the Metropolitan of Serres, Cyzicus, and Chalcedon.
Constantine VI (262nd Ecumenical Patriarch)
Constantine VI (b. 1859, Bursa – d. 1930, Athens) was enthroned as Patriarch on December 17, 1924. He only served for 43 days until he was determined “exchangeable” according to the 1923 population exchange agreement between Turkey and Greece. On January 30, 1925, he was deported to Greece by the Turkish Republic. He took his case to the League of Nations pleading for his return, but was unsuccessful and resigned on May 22, 1925.
Constantine VI was originally buried in Athens, but his remains were moved to the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring in 2011. Before his term as Patriarch, he served as Metropolitan of Vella and Konitsa, Trebizond (Trabzon), Cyzicus, and Derkoi. His birth name was Constantine Araboglou (Κωνσταντίνος Αράμπογλου).
Basil III (263rd Ecumenical Patriarch)
Basil III (b. 1846, Üsküdar – d. 1929, Istanbul) was the Patriarch from July 13, 1925, until he died of old age on September 29, 1929. During his term, the population exchange between Turkey and Greece was completed. He recognized the autocephaly of the Church of Romania and revised the charter of Mount Athos.
Before serving as Patriarch, Basil III was a professor at the Halki Theological Seminary and studied in the libraries of Rome, Berlin, Leipzig, London, and Vienna. He also served as the Metropolitan of Anchialos, Pelagonia, and Nicaea. His secular name was Vasilios Georgiadis (Βασίλειος Γεωργιάδης).
Photios II (264th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Photios II (b. 1874, Büyükada – d. 1935, Istanbul) served as Patriarch from October 7, 1929, to December 29, 1935. He helped improve relations between Turks and Greeks during his term. Before serving as Patriarch, Photios II studied theology at the University of Athens and philosophy at the University of Munich. He also served as the Patriarchal Exarch in Plovdiv, and as Metropolitan of Philadelphia (Alaşehir) and Derkoi. His birth name was Demetrios Maniatis (Δημήτριος Μανιάτης), and he spoke Greek, Turkish, Bulgarian, French, and German.
Benjamin I (265th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Benjamin I (b. 1871, Edremit – d. 1946, Istanbul) served as Patriarch from January 18, 1936, to February 17, 1946. He was the first Patriarch to be officially licensed by the Turkish state, but his election was tainted as the mayor of Istanbul, Muhittin Uludağ, removed the two strongest candidates from the electoral list. During his term, he recognized the autonomy of the Church of Albania. The Patriarchal offices burned down in September 1941 and weren’t rebuilt until 1989. Before his election as Patriarch, he served as Metropolitan of Rhodes, Selymbria (Silivri), Plovdiv, Nicaea, and Heraklion.
Maximos V (266th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Maximos V (b. 1897, Sinop – d. 1972, Switzerland) served as Patriarch from February 20, 1946, to October 19, 1948. He officially resigned due to health reasons, but unofficially due to Western pressure because of his leftist opinions and ties to the Soviet-controlled Moscow Patriarchate. Before his term as Patriarch, he served as the Metropolitan of Philadelphia and Chalcedon. His birth name was Maximos Vaportzis (Μάξιμος Βαπορτζής).
Athenagoras I (267th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Athenagoras I (b. 1886, Vasiliko, Epiros, Ottoman Empire – d. 1972, Istanbul) served as Patriarch from November 1, 1948, to July 7, 1972. After his election, he was flown to Istanbul in the personal airplane of President Harry Truman. During his term, he dealt with the Istanbul Pogrom against the Greek minority in 1955 and the mass deportations and migration of Greeks from Istanbul that followed. In 1964, he met with Pope Paul VI for a historic meeting in Jerusalem and mutually lifted the anathemas between the Orthodox and Catholic churches that had lasted since the Great Schism in 1054.
Before his term as Patriarch, Athenagoras I was the Metropolitan of Corfu from 1922 to 1930 and then the Archbishop of North and South America from 1930 to 1948. He founded the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, and St. Basil Academy in Garrison, New York. His birth name was Aristocles Spirou (Αριστοκλής Σπύρου) and he became a naturalized US citizen in 1938.
Demetrios I (268th Ecumenical Patriarch)
Demetrios I (b. 1914, Tarabya, Constantinople – d. 1991, Istanbul) served as the Patriarch from July 16, 1972, to October 2, 1991. During his term, he worked for the unity of the Orthodox Church. He received Pope John Paul II at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fener on November 30, 1979, and opened an official dialogue with the Vatican. Demetrios I was the first Patriarch to visit the United States and he also traveled to several other Orthodox countries.
Before serving as Patriarch, he was a priest in Feriköy and Kurtuluş, the head of the Orthodox community in Tehran, Iran, and served briefly as the Metropolitan of Imvros and Tenedos (Gökçeada and Bozcaada). His birth name was Demetrios Papadopoulos (Δημήτριος Παπαδόπουλος).
Balıklı Greek Cemetery
Just outside to the east of the Monastery of the Life-giving Spring is the Balıklı Greek Cemetery (Balıklı Rum Mezarlığı). It’s one of the largest and most important Christian cemeteries in Istanbul.
Balıklı Armenian Cemetery
To the west is the Balıklı Armenian Cemetery (Balıklı Ermeni Mezarlığı). It’s 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).
