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Eski Imaret Mosque (Eski Imaret Camii) is a former Byzantine church in Fatih, Istanbul, traditionally identified as the Monastery of Christ Pantepoptes. Built in the 11th century, it is the only intact church from that period in the city, yet remains one of the least studied.
Originally a convent founded by Anna Dalassena before 1087, it became a Roman Catholic church during the Latin occupation (1204–1261). After the Ottoman conquest (1453), it was converted into a mosque, while monastic buildings served as a zaviye, medrese, and imaret for the Fatih Mosque.
The building features Middle Byzantine architecture, a cross-in-square plan, and a U-shaped gallery, possibly for the Empress-Mother. Its scalloped dome and recessed brick technique make it architecturally significant. The original interior is mostly lost, except for some marble details.
Restored in the 1970s and 1990s, another restoration began in 2015 but was later halted. As of 2024, it remains under restoration.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.