Changes After Construction
It has been stated that the area where the monastery stands was at the center of the Byzantine-period settlement of Karya (Karyes).
It has been stated that the monastic church was burned in 1182; that it was plundered by pirates in the 14th and 15th centuries; and that it suffered fire and earthquake damage in the 16th century.
It has been stated that after the earthquake of 1509, the complex came to be known as the “Sunken Monastery” because the heavy walls had visibly sunk into the ground.
It has been stated that in 1783 the monastery temporarily housed a minority school.
It has been stated that in 1821 the monastery was seized by military forces; later it was repaired and used to accommodate Greek families visiting Büyükada.
It has been stated that in the fire of 1852, the iconostasis and most of the religious paintings were damaged.
It has been stated that in 1860 the church was rebuilt while preserving its domed, four-columned, cross-in-square plan scheme, and that its narthex dates to 1873.
Featured Highlights
The church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul.
The building is part of the Aya Nikola Monastery and Church complex.
The monastery is located on the eastern shore of Büyükada, opposite Sedef Island.
The church was reestablished with a domed, four-columned, cross-centered plan arrangement.
There is a double-headed eagle relief above the entrance.
There is a Greek relief on the exterior façade depicting chariot races from an earlier period.
