Saint Stephen
per person
The Saint Stephen monastery is a converted Byzantine foundation in Trigleia (Tirilye). The identification with the Church of St. Stephen is not absolute certain. However, it may be associated with the monastery of St. Stephen the Confessor, who was persecuted during the reign of Leo V (813-820). The conversion to a mosque took place in the sixteenth or seventeenth century.
The monument dates to the early 9th century and it is considered to be an early example of a cross-in-square church.
FORMAL ANALYSIS
The church has a square plan. Its main feature is the central dome with a diameter of ca. 15 feet which is based on a tall drum above four columns. Its diakonikon (the chamber next to the apse from the south side) has not survived but it is evident that the apse consisted of three parts. As the apse walls project beyond the width of the naos, it must have created a large space.
In its first phase, also a south chapel was a part of the naos but later it was destroyed. The main entrance today is through a portico covered with a wooden roof. The portico is standing on four columns which consist of reused material. Most surviving sculptures are dated to the 6th century, while some others like the capitals of the lateral arcades and some of the cornice patterns might date to the ninth century.
After the conversion to a mosque, a mihrab covered most of the apse and a minaret was added. An earthquake in 1855 damaged the minaret which was rebuild after that. In 1920-1922, the building briefly became a church again. During this phase, it became evident that the monastery was originally decorated with mosaics. A restoration in 1995-1996 uncovered also fragments of opus sectile.
EKATERINI MITSIOU
Información de la localidad
Saint Stephen
Other monuments and places to visit | Panagia Pantobasilissa (Lady Queen of All) Church (14th century) |
Natural Heritage | |
Historical Recreations | |
Festivals of Tourist Interest | |
Fairs | |
Tourist Office | No |
Specialized Guides | No |
Guided visits | No |
Accommodations | Hotels and hostels in the city of Tirilye. |
Restaurants | Many restaurants around |
Craft | |
Bibliography | |
Videos | |
Website |
Monument or place to visit | Monastery of Saint Stephen/Fatih Mosque |
Style | Remains of the Early 9th century/16th and 17th century when it was converted into a mosque |
Type | Monastic architecture |
Epoch | 9th / 16th/17th centuries |
State of conservation | Good condition |
Degree of legal protection | |
Mailing address | |
Coordinates GPS | 40.393078°N 28.796799°E |
Property, dependency | |
Possibility of visits by the general public or only specialists | General public visits |
Conservation needs | Yes |
Visiting hours and conditions | It is a mosque and the visiting hours may therefore be restricted |
Ticket amount | |
Research work in progress | Restoration works in 1995-1996 |
Accessibility | Good |
Signaling if it is registered on the route | |
Bibliography | Hayden, Robert; Sözer, Hande; Tanyeri-Erdemir, Tuğba; Erdemir, Aykan, The Byzantine Mosque at Trilye: A Processual Analysis of Dominance, Sharing, Transformation and Tolerance, in: History and Anthropology 22 (1) (2011) 1–17. doi:10.1080/02757206.2011.546851. S2CID 145072856. Mango, Cyril; Ševčenko, Ihor, Some Churches and Monasteries on the South Shore of the Sea of Marmara". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 18 (1973) 235–77. doi:10.2307/1291343. JSTOR 1291343. Ousterhout, Robert, Master Builders of Byzantium. Philadelphia 2008 |
Videos | Youtube |
Information websites | wikipedia.org thebyzantinelegacy.com |
Location | Tirilye (Zeytinbağı), Bursa Province, Turkey |