Fethiye Museum in Istanbul

Istanbul Fethiye Museum Entrance Fee and Opening Hours

Arising of Christian doctrine coincides with Emperor Augustus reign. Born around Jerusalem (Bethlehem), Jesus offered his teaching to a small group gathered around him and he was crucified in his 30s inequitably.

Christian doctrine was spread throughout the world by his apostles whom Jesus trained as his students. They tried hard to spread his legacy to significant cities such as Rome, Ephesus, Antioch and Alexandria. But their effort was blocked by state authority of Roman Empire who regarded Christianity as a major threat to its own existence.

After having been exposed to oppression for ages, Christians got lucky in Emperor Constantine period. Constantine had a dream in which it was heralded that they could win the war if his soldiers would draw cross signs on their shields before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. He won the war and started to lean towards Christianity. Then, he allowed Christians to practice their religions freely in Roman Empire with the Edict of Milan, 315 A.D.

Until Emperor Constantine’s era, official state of Roman Empire had polytheistic belief and Christianity was an underground organization; it lacked official institutions and clergy. There were two things executed by Constantine the Great in 320’s that had an impact on Christian history: he announced Constantinople as the new capital of Roman Empire, and he convoked First Council of Nicaea to determine the principals of Christianity.

Principles of church structure were discussed in detail and it was determined that there would be 5 main Christianity Centers: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria. They appointed a bishop to each of these important cities of Ancient Time. The Bishop was widely called as “Pope” in Rome, and “Patriarch” in Constantinople. Dissidence between two bishops marked the history of Christianity in Medieval times.

The Monastery of the Theotokos Pammakaristos

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has been a spiritual center for Orthodox Christians for ages. Although the Eastern Orthodox Church is split into autocephalous sub-groups such as Church of Greece, Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine today, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople still holds a special place of honor within Orthodoxy and enjoys the status of primus inter pares (first among equals).

After Hagia Sophia was converted into mosque in 1453, the Ecumenical Patriarch moved into the Church of Holy Apostles. It stayed there for a couple of years and was moved into the Pammakaristos Church, known as Fethiye Museum today. After Pammakaristos Church was converted into mosque by Murad III and named as Fethiye Mosque, Patriarchate was moved to its final place, St. George’s Cathedral.

History of Pammakaristos Church

Pammakaristos Church dates back to Komnenos Dynasty (11st century) according to many historians. But the siege and sack of Constantinople known as Latin Occupation between 1204-1261 made this building turn into a ruin like most of the significant buildings in the city.

After Constantinoples was rescued from 57-years-long invasion, it was Michael Tarchaneiotes, an important Byzantian bureaucrat and a relative of Michael VIII. Palaiologos, who looked after this church by ameliorating it.

Bureucrats who renovated churches such as Pammakaristos added funerary chapels known as Parekklesion and were buried there after they died.

Reference for the history: TheByzantineLegacy.com

Fethiye Museum Entrance Fee 2019

Admission fee for Fethiye Museum is 6 Turkish Lira. You can use Istanbul Museum Pass to enter this museum.

Fethiye Museum Visiting Hours

High Season (Summer)

April 1st – October 1st

Open between 09:00 am – 19:00 pm.

Low Season (Winter)

October 1st – April 1st

Open between 09:00 am – 17:00 pm.

Restoration of Fethiye Museum

Fethiye Museum is one of the museums run by Directorate of Hagia Sophia Museum. As of 2018, it has been closed for restoration and opening date is still not certain. You can follow the current condition of renovation on its official website.

https://ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/en/fethiye-museum-pammakaristos

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Written by Serhat Engul

Fethiye Museum Entrance Fee & Visiting Hours 2019