The Church of St. George (Greek: Καθεδρικός ναός του Αγίου Γεωργίου, Kathedrikós Naós tou Agíou Geōrgíou, Turkish: Aya Yorgi) is the principal Greek Orthodox cathedral still in use in Istanbul (Constantinople), the capital of the Byzantine Empire until 1453. Since about 1600, it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the senior patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church and recognized as the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians.
It is a relatively small church, particularly given its status in world Christianity, this however can be explained by the Islamic laws which govern the rights of Dhimmis which stipulate that all non-Islamic buildings must be smaller and humbler than corresponding Islamic buildings.
The church, dedicated to the Christian martyr Saint George, is the site of numerous important services and is where the patriarch will consecrate the chrism (myron) on Holy and Great Thursday, when needed. For this reason, the church is also known as the "Patriarchal Church of the Great Myrrh". At one time, the patriarch would consecrate all of the chrism used throughout the entire Orthodox Church. However, now most of the heads of the autocephalous churches sanctify their own myrrh.
Today the Church of St. George serves mainly as the symbolic centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and as a centre of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians. The church is financially supported by donations from Orthodox communities in other countries.
It is open to the public from 8.30 to 16.00, but strict security screening is in place.
Curiosity
There were more than one great fires when the church suffered severe damage; therefore it has been reconstructed many times and little remains of its original structure.
Its most precious objects, saved from each successive fire, are the patriarchal throne, which is believed to date from the 5th century, some rare mosaic icons and relics of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Some of the bones of these two saints, which were looted from Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, were returned to the Church of St George by Pope John Paul II in 2004. Inside the church, near the relics, you can see also a fragment of the Pillar of the Flagellation.
The building, which was part of a convent or monastery before becoming the seat of the Patriarch, is outwardly unimpressive, but its interior is lavishly decorated in the style much loved by Orthodox Christians.
For more information about the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (visit link).
Remember the pen,
beware of muggles and...
good hunting!