Is this the Gül Cami you expected? This mosque holds a captivating secret. It was once an Eastern Orthodox church. The Ottomans converted it into a mosque. Gül Camii means Rose Mosque in Turkish.
Gül Camii is in Istanbul. Find it in the Fatih district. Look for the neighborhood of Ayakapı. This translates to Gate of the Saint. Gül Camii sits at the end of a valley. This valley divides Constantinople’s fourth and fifth hills. It offers a striking view of the Golden Horn.
Identifying the Gül Cami has been a puzzle for scholars. Was it the church of the nunnery of Saint Theodosia? Or was it the monastery of Christ the Benefactor? These questions have sparked debate for years.
Stephan Gerlach visited in the late 15th century. He thought it was the church of Hagia Theodosia en tois Dexiokratous. But Jules Pargoire had another idea. He believed it was the church of Hagia Euphēmia. This church was built during Basil I’s reign.
Hartmut Schäfer studied the basement in the 1960s. He dated the edifice to the Komnenian age. That is between the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Schäfer suggested it could be the church of Christos Euergetēs. He doubted it housed Hagia Theodosia’s body after the Iconoclasm. But he didn’t rule out a later dedication to Hagia Theodosia.
Let’s journey back to January 19, 729. Emperor Leo III ordered the removal of a Christ image. This image stood over the Chalkē. It was the Great Palace’s main gate. A group of women tried to stop it. A nun named Theodosia made an officer fall. He died. Theodosia was captured and executed.
After Iconoclasm ended Theodosia became a saint. Her body was kept in Hagia Euphemia. This church was in Dexiokratiana. Emperor Basil I erected the church and monastery. His four daughters were buried there. Hagia Euphemia was near Christos Euergetēs Monastery.
The worship of Theodosia grew. After the 11th century the church was named after her. Hagia Theodosia became a venerated saint in Constantinople. People invoked her for healing. A deaf-mute’s recovery in 1306 increased her fame.
Russian pilgrims mentioned the church often. But they sometimes confused it with Christ Euergetēs. Twice a week a procession took place. Relics were carried followed by sick people. They prayed for recovery.
The last mention of the church was on May 28, 1453. Emperor Constantine XI prayed there with the Patriarch. It was the eve of the Saint’s feast and the end of the Byzantine Empire. The church was adorned with roses. Constantine left for his final battle. Many stayed praying. Ottoman troops captured them the next morning.
After the Ottoman conquest the basement became a naval dockyard. In 1490 the ruined church was repaired. It was converted into a mosque. Hassam Pasha erected a minaret between 1566 and 1574. The mosque was often named after him. Stephan Gerlach identified it as Hagia Theodosia’s church. The holy man Gül Baba may have been buried here.
Earthquakes heavily damaged the upper parts. Sultan Murat IV restored it. He rebuilt the dome and the minaret. Sultan Mahmud II restored it again later. He added the wooden Sultan’s lodge.
The Gül Camii stands on a high vaulted basement. The masonry uses recessed brick. This is typical of Byzantine architecture. The building has a cross-in-square plan. It is surmounted by five domes. The central dome is Ottoman.
The southeastern façade features apses. The central apse appears to be a later reconstruction. The side apses resemble those of Pantokrator Church. The Gül Camii is a fascinating blend of Byzantine and Ottoman history. It stands as a testament to Istanbul’s layered past.