St. Irini – Aya Irini Museum is located in the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace as one of the most magnificent and greatest Byzantine churches along with St. Sophia (Aya Sofya). St. Irini was built during the period of Emperor Justinianus in VI. Since the church was not turned into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, there were no remarkable changes in the building.
Photo by Niyazi Uğur Genca
St. Irini – Aya Irini Museum was used as a loot from war and a storage of arms for a long time. The first works of Damat Ahmet Fethi Pasha, one of Tophane field marshals, were displayed here in 1846 as the first examples displayed in a Turkish museum. In 1869 St. Irini received the name Muze-i Humayun (Empire Museum). In time the works displayed here were moved to the Tiled Kiosk in 1875 due to the shortage in places of exhibition.
From year 1908 Aya Irini was used as Military Museum. Then the structure which was vacant for a time was repaired and became a unit governed by St. Sophia Museum Management.
Mon, Sep 21, 2009
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