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Hagia Eirine (Ἁγία Εἰρήνη / Aya İrini), also known as Hagia Irene, was the first church commissioned in the city of Constantinople. The church is part of Istanbul’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Visiting Hagia Eirine
When I was living in Istanbul, the only way to gain access was to attend a concert or with special permission, but since January 2014, Hagia Eirine has been open as a museum. Admission for foreigners is 500₺ (as of March 2024) or free for holders of a Museum Pass Istanbul. You can also visit on a combo ticket including Topkapi Palace and the Imperial Harem for 1,500₺ (as of March 2024). The museum is open daily except Tuesdays.
History of Hagia Eirine
Hagia Eirine was commissioned by Emperor Constantine I himself in the 4th century. The church served as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until the Megali Ekklisia, the predecessor to Hagia Sophia, was completed in 360. The Hospital of Sampson may have stood to the south.
One of the most important events in Christian history took place in the church from May to July 381. The First Council of Constantinople was organized by Emperor Theodosius I as the second ecumenical council. It confirmed the Nicene Creed of 325.
Hagia Eirine burned down during the Nika Revolt of 532. It was rebuilt by Justinian I in 548. In 740, it was heavily damaged in an earthquake and restored under Constantine V, an Iconoclast. Some of the work from this restoration survives to this day, including the cross mosaic in the apse.
After Ottoman Conquest
After the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church was decommissioned, turned into the Inner Arsenal (İç Cebahane), and enclosed within the walls of Topkapi Palace. An epigraph above the main entrance commemorates the formation of the House of Weapons (Dar-ül Esliha) in 1726 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III, while another mentions the restorations of 1744 under Sultan Mahmud I.
In 1846, the Archaeological Artifacts Collection (Mecma-i Asar-ı Atika) and the Ancient Weapons Collection (Mecma-i Esliha-i Atika) were installed in the building by Ahmed Fethi Pasha (1801-1858), an Ottoman marshal and ambassador. In 1869, Hagia Eirine became the first official museum of the Ottoman Empire, the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümâyûn), until the collection moved to the Tiled Kiosk (Çinili Köşk) (now part of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums) in 1875. Later, it served as the Military Museum (now the Harbiye Military Museum) from 1908 to 1978. After 1978, the building was converted into a concert hall. It’s one of the very few Byzantine churches never converted into a mosque by the Ottoman conquerors.
Features of Hagia Eirine
Hagia Eirine was built on a typical Roman basilica plan with a nave and two aisles. It measures roughly 57 x 32 meters. The interior of the church is very plain compared to other Byzantine churches, such as Hagia Sophia, because it was decorated in the Iconoclastic style.
The church is topped by a dome that’s 15 meters wide and 35 meters high, with 20 windows in the drum. Ottoman artwork decorates the underside of the dome.
Aisles and Columns
Columns standing along the two aisles support the galleries above. Some of the bases of the columns were recycled from older buildings. One rests on a marble tablet containing the monogram of Constantine V.
The column capitals facing the aisles feature the monograms of Justinian I and Theodora. The column capitals facing the nave are decorated with crosses.
Apse
A unique feature of the church is the synthronon, which is a semicircular row of benches in the apse. During the Divine Liturgy, this is where the clergy would sit. This is the only surviving synthronon in the city dating back to the Byzantine era.
Around the border of the semidome of the apse is an arch covered in frescoes and Greek script. The outer inscription is of Psalm 64:4-5, while the inner inscription is of Amos 6:6.
My Thoughts on Hagia Eirine
For such a historic church, visitors might be disappointed with the lack of grandeur. Also, it would be nice if the atrium and galleries were open to visitors. In my opinion, it’s not worth paying the admission to enter unless you’re a true history or church buff, but if you have a Museum Pass or want to step inside one of the most historic places in the city, go for it.
