Panayia Greek Orthodox Church
Changes After Construction:
- The church was built in 1837 by imperial decree of Sultan Mahmud II, upon the request of Stefanos Karatheodori.
- In 2013, a bust of Constantine Cavafy was placed in the church courtyard.
- In 2017, the bust of the founder was unveiled as part of the events marking the 180th anniversary of its foundation.
Prominent Features:
- The church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul.
- The structure is also known as the “Kumariotisa Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church.”
- The name “Kumariotisa” is associated with the Komaron locality or with the kumaria (strawberry tree / arbutus) plant covering the hill.
- The holy relics in the church show that there was an earlier church on the same hill in the 16th century.
- It is known that Stefanos Karateodori, the patron of the church, provided support to the sultan through his views on the plague epidemic that affected the imperial capital.
- On the western side of the structure are the graves of Stefanos Karateodori and his family.
