Church of St. Mary of Blachernae
| Church of St. Mary of Blachernae Θεοτόκος των Βλαχερνών |
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The modern church viewed from north
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 Church of St. Mary of Blachernae
Θεοτόκος των Βλαχερνών |
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| 41°02′18″N 28°56′33″E / 41.0383°N 28.9425°ECoordinates: 41°02′18″N 28°56′33″E / 41.0383°N 28.9425°E | |
| Location | Ayvansaray, Istanbul |
| Country | Turkey |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
| History | |
| Founded | 450 |
| Founder(s) | Aelia Pulcheria |
| Dedication | Theotokos ton Blachernon |
| Cult(s) present | Saint Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1867 |
Saint Mary of Blachernae (full name in Greek: Θεοτόκος των Βλαχερνών (pr. Theotókos ton Vlachernón); Turkish name: Meryem Ana Kilisesi) is an Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul. The little edifice, built in 1867, got the same dedication as the shrine erected in this place in the fifth century which, until its destruction in 1434, was one of the most important sanctuaries of Greek Orthodoxy.
The church is located in Istanbul, in the district of Fatih, in the neighbourhood of Ayvansaray, along Mustafa Paşa Bostanı Sokak. It lies a few hundred meters inside the walled city, at a short distance from the shore of the Golden Horn. The building is protected by a high wall, and preceded by a garden.
In 450, Empress Aelia Pulcheria started to build a church near a fountain of holy water (Greek: Ayíasma) situated outside the walls of Theodosius II at the foot of the sixth hill of Constantinople. After her death in 453, the shrine was completed by her husband, Emperor Marcian.
Emperor Leo I erected near the church two other buildings: a parekklesion, named Ayía Sorós ("holy reliquary"), since it hosted the holy mantle and robe of the Virgin brought from Palestine in 473, and the ´Ayion Loúsma ("sacred bath") edifice, which enclosed the fountain.
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Wikipedia