Kalenderhane Mosque
Kalenderhane Mosque or formerly known as Theotokos Kyriotissa Church (Greek: Εκκλησία της Θεοτόκου Κυριώτισσσσας Ekklisía tis Theotókou Kyriótissas) is an Eastern Roman building in the Vefa district of Istanbul. It is located south of the easternmost end of the Bozdogan Arch. It is in the form of an Eastern Orthodox Church. In the 18th century, it was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans. It is highly probable that in its original state the church was dedicated to Theotokos Kyriotissa. The building represents one of the few surviving examples of a Byzantine church with Greek cross arches. According to the plan and stylistic features, the building is assumed to date from the 9th or 10th century.
The building was first used by Kalenderî dervishes during the Ottoman period, hence its name Kalenderhane. In the courtyard of the mosque are the remains of a wall that was part of the church in its early days, but has now been demolished and turned into ruins. The dome of the mosque sits on a circle formed by arches built from the four corners. There are mosaic patterns on the dome, which are understood to be not very old. Especially the marble coverings inside the structure are eye-catching.
