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Zeyrek is one of the most interesting neighborhoods in Istanbul. It’s located in the Fatih district and contains some important Byzantine structures.
Introduction to Zeyrek
Zeyrek is one of the poorest neighborhood in Istanbul. It’s protected under the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul thanks to its main attraction, the Zeyrek Mosque, and a few other Byzantine structures. The nearest tram stop is Cibali on the T5 tram line, or you can take a bus to the Unkapanı or Vefa stops along Atatürk Boulevard.
Women’s Market
A great place to start exploring Zeyrek is the Women’s Market (Kadınlar Pazarı Yeşil Alanı), which runs along İtfaiye Street. It’s a pedestrian area lined with several butchers and grocers as well as restaurants serving delicious cuisine from Siirt and Bitlis. You can reach the street by walking under the Aqueduct of Valens from Saraçhane.
Hüsambey Tezgahçılar Mosque
On the east side of İtfaiye Street is the Hüsambey Tezgahçılar Mosque (Hüsambey Tezgahçılar Camii). It was built in 1612 by Şeyhülislam (Shaykh al-Islam) Sunullah Efendi (1552-1612). It was damaged by fire and rebuilt in 1911 by Halil Efendi.
The mosque is a rectangular building with a wooden roof. The minbar and walls are covered from floor to ceiling with beautiful tiles. Unfortunately, it’s usually open only during prayer times and I haven’t had the chance to enter. Behind the mosque is a garden containing the tombs of Sunullah Efendi and his father, Cafer Çelebi.
Tomb of Gazanfer Ağa
Down the hill from the mosque, at the corner of Atatürk Boulevard, is the tomb of Gazanfer Ağa (Gazanfer Ağa Türbesi). It was built in 1596 by Gazanfer Ağa (d. 1603), who was the Chief White Eunuch of Topkapi Palace under Sultan Mehmed III. He was originally from Venice, was captured by the Ottomans as a boy, and taken to Constantinople.
During his education in the devşirme system at Topkapi Palace, Gazanfer became a close friend of Prince Selim, who later took the throne as Sultan Selim II. He decided to serve the prince as a eunuch. Gazanfer Ağa was beheaded by Sultan Mehmed III on January 3, 1603, after a revolt by the Janissaries and sipahi cavalrymen against the Harem.
Çinili Hamam
At the northern end of İtfaiye Street is the Çinili Hamam. It was built sometime between 1540 and 1546 by Ottoman Admiral Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha (c. 1466/1483-1546), also known as Barbarossa. The building was designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan (1490-1588). It was built as a double bath with separate sections for men and women, and was once adorned with beautiful blue tiles. Tiles only exist today in part of the men’s section.
The hamam underwent a 13-year restoration and finally reopened in September 2023. It’s now a bath with an attached museum displaying Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman artifacts. I plan to visit on a future trip to Istanbul.
Tomb of Zenbilli Ali Efendi
From the hamam, the road veers to the right and descends to Atatürk Boulevard. Just before the street leading up to the Zeyrek Mosque is the tomb of Zenbilli Ali Efendi (Zenbilli Ali Efendi Türbesi).
Zenbilli Ali Efendi (1445-1526), whose real name was Ali Cemali, was a descendant of influential theologian Fakhr al-Din al Razi (1149-1209). He was educated by Molla Hüsrev (d. 1480) in Constantinople and became a professor in the 15th century. He served as Şeyhülislam from 1503 until his death in 1526. Zenbilli Ali Efendi was known for his philanthropy and had mosques and schools built in different parts of Constantinople.
Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque
If you walk down to Atatürk Boulevard and back up the next slope, you’ll come to a flat area with a small mosque on top. The Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Piri Mehmet Paşa Camii) was built in 1520 by Piri Mehmed Pasha (1465-1532), a grand vizier under Ottoman Sultans Selim I and Süleyman the Magnificent.
The mosque has been destroyed several times by fire and was rebuilt each time. The base of the minaret is from the original mosque. There’s a small cemetery in the courtyard holding the graves of Sheikh Mehmed Emin Tokadi (1664-1745) and Müstakimzâde Süleyman Efendi (1719-1787).
Zeyrek Cistern
The Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque sits atop the Zeyrek Cistern (Zeyrek Sarnıcı), which is the third largest cistern in Istanbul. It was built as part of the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator in the 12th century. The cistern has an area of 900 square meters and was used until the 18th century. It was under restoration during my last few visits, and I plan to visit if and when it opens to the public. The cistern is best seen from across the street.
Zeyrek Mosque
The historical highlight of Zeyrek is the Zeyrek Mosque (Zeyrek Camii). It’s one of the most important remaining Byzantine structures in Istanbul. It has a long and storied history and is the main reason the neighborhood is included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Byzantine Period
The Zeyrek Mosque was originally built between 1118 and 1124 as the main church of the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator (Μονή του Παντοκράτορος Χριστού). The monastery was commissioned by Byzantine Empress Irene of Hungary and consisted of the church, a hospital, and a library. The architect was known as Nikephoros.
After 1124, Emperor John II Komnenos built another church just to the north. It was open to the public and dedicated to Theotokos Eleousa (Θεοτόκος Ἐλεούσα).
By 1136, the two churches were connected via an imperial chapel dedicated to Archangel Michael, which became the mausoleum of the Komnenos and Palaiologos dynasties. A southern courtyard and exonarthex were also added.
During the Latin Occupation of Constantinople between 1204 and 1261, the monastery was used as a palace by the last Latin Emperor, Baldwin II (c. 1217-1273). It was also used as the see of Catholic clergy from Venice.
After the Byzantines regained power, the monastery once again became property of Orthodox monks. Gennadius II (c. 1400-c. 1473), the first Ecumenical Patriarch after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, served there.
Ottoman and Republic Period
The church was converted to a mosque shortly after the Fall of Constantinople and the monastery became a madrasa. It was the first educational institution established by the Ottomans in Constantinople. The mosque was named after Molla Zeyrek, a scholar who taught there.
After the Fatih Mosque complex was completed in 1471, students abandoned the Zeyrek Mosque and the monastery buildings later disappeared. The structure suffered significant damage during an earthquake in 1766. It takes its present shape from repairs carried out after the earthquake.
Today, the Zeyrek Mosque is the second largest surviving Byzantine church in the city. It’s included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul. The mosque underwent a long restoration and reopened to visitors on May 29, 2019.
Exonarthex of the Zeyrek Mosque
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 of the Zeyrek Mosque
The narthex was once the main entrance to the original south church. It was later extended to the imperial chapel.
South Church of the Zeyrek Mosque
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, which 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 wall 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 in the Zeyrek Mosque
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 of the Zeyrek Mosque
The north church is the second largest of the three 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.
Birdhouse on the Zeyrek Academy
Next to the Zeyrek Mosque is the Zeyrek Academy (Zeyrek Akademi). This school contains an example of an Ottoman birdhouse. Birdhouses were a popular addition to Ottoman buildings constructed in the 16th century. They were placed under wide eaves to protect the birds from the sun and rain, on façades that don’t receive north winds, and high enough to protect them from predators. Although this birdhouse was built in 2021 and is not original, it’s a good example of an Ottoman birdhouse.
Sheikh Süleyman Mosque
Further into the neighborhood from the Zeyrek Mosque is the Sheikh Süleyman Mosque (Şeyh Süleyman Mescidi). It was originally part of the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator, built between 1118 and 1124 by Empress Irene of Hungary. The purpose of the building is unknown. Some scholars believe it was a tomb while others think it was a library.
The building was converted into a small mosque shortly after 1453 by Sheikh Süleyman Halîfe (d. 1491). It was restored by Kazgan Asan Ağa during the reign of Sultan Mustafa III.
The Sheikh Süleyman Mosque was built on a square plan and is topped with an octagonal dome. Underneath is a burial chamber with eight niches covered by a dome vault.
Eski Imaret Mosque
Finally, not too far away is the Eski Imaret Mosque (Eski İmaret Camii), which translates to Mosque of the Old Soup Kitchen. It was originally a Byzantine church belonging to the Monastery of Christ Pantepoptes (Μονή του Χριστού Παντεπόπτη). The church was built sometime before 1087 by Anna Dalassene (1025-1100), the mother of Emperor Alexios I Komenenos.
During the Latin Occupation of Constantinople, the building served as a Catholic church. It was converted into a mosque immediately after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. The other buildings of the monastery were used as a soup kitchen, hence the Turkish name of the mosque meaning “old soup kitchen mosque”. Those buildings disappeared around the beginning of the 20th century.
The mosque was restored in 1970. Nothing remains of the original Byzantine interior other than some moldings and doorframes. The building is in poor condition, but was under restoration during my most recent visit in June 2022. I’ll update once I have a chance to visit post-restoration.
Ottoman Architecture in Zeyrek
Before leaving the area, it’s worth admiring some of the crumbling Ottoman homes in the neighborhood. Although Zeyrek is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the walled city, there are some beautiful structures waiting to be discovered.
Wandering through Zeyrek also gives visitors a chance to see a different side of Istanbul. Two Turkish friends who explored the neighborhood with me commented how it seemed more like the small villages in which their grandparents grew up rather than a big city. They said it’s a good way to witness a way of life that’s disappearing.
Where to Eat in Zeyrek
As previously mentioned, Zeyrek is popular with büryan kebab.
Siirt Şeref Büryan
Near the Women’s Market, in the shadow of the Aqueduct of Valens, is Siirt Şeref Büryan. It’s considered the best place in Istanbul to get büryan kebab.
Büryan is mutton cooked over coals in a deep pit and is popular in the cities of Siirt and Bitlis. This makes the meat very tender and gives it a delicious fatty flavor. It’s served on top of pide bread, and you don’t need to add anything to the meat to make it taste better. It’s that good on its own!
Fatih Municipality Tea Garden
You can’t miss the Fatih Municipality Tea Garden (Fatih Belediyesi Çay Bahçesi). It’s a great place to relax after walking around the area. It’s located directly behind the Zeyrek Mosque. The tea garden is open daily from 8:30am to 11pm and has some great views of Istanbul, especially looking across to Galata.
