Fethiye Camii and Fethiye Museum: the conversions of the Pammakaristos Church

Dr. Mariëtte VERHOEVEN, Radboud University

In this paper I will address the conversions and transformations of the Pammakaristos Church, which was built on the fifth hill of Byzantine Constantinople in the 12^th century. The church functioned as the patriarchate after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 and was transformed into a mosque in the late 16^th Century. While the main building is still in use as a mosque, the side chapel (beginning 14^th Century), and a part of the ambulatory that enveloped the church have been restored between 1949 and 1963 and function since as a museum showing religious Byzantine mosaics. Currently both the mosque and the museum are being restored but  given the recent developments regarding the former Byzantine churches of Hagia Sophia and Chora the outcome of the restoration for Fethiye museum is unclear.

In this paper I will show the consequences of the different conversions and transformations over the centuries and the threats posed by current policies towards Byzantine heritage in Istanbul. Finally, I will propose different solutions for maintaining the combined function of mosque and museum.