Changes After Construction
The building was damaged during the conquest of Istanbul and was repaired in 1759.
The building underwent another repair in 1817.
The building was damaged beyond use in the earthquake of July 10, 1894, and was rebuilt in 1896.
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The church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul.
The building is also known as the “Ioannes Prodromos Church.”
The church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
The first church was commissioned by Empress Theodora on the cell in which the exiled clergyman Methodios had been imprisoned.
The church is entered through the narthex on the south side; from the space to the left of the narthex, Methodios’s cell is reached by a narrow staircase of 11 steps.
From the section on the right of the narthex, stairs lead to the upper floor and to the gallery opening into the main church area.
The central aisle is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the right side aisle to Hagia Paraskevi, and the left side aisle to Hagios Ayazoni.
The interior contains rich woodwork in the iconostasis, the ambo, and the despot’s throne.
