Introduction

Touted as one of the most important monuments in Istanbul to survive from the Middle Byzantine period, the Zeyrek Camii, serving as both the core of the Pantokrator Monastery and a royal mausoleum, is situated in the heart of old Istanbul (1). Located in the district of Fatih, it is a complex that is rich in political, cultural, and religious meaning and represents a significant religious structure in Istanbul, the second largest religious Byzantine structure that still remains to this day after the Hagia Sophia. Its cultural prominence is reflected by the fact that it lends its name, Zeyrek, to the neighborhood in which it is located. While it was once a glorious and magnificence edifice of worship, it has decayed since its prime, and in an attempt to restore the structure to its former glory, two modern reconstruction efforts have taken place, one in 1997 to 1998 and another one in 2001 to 2005. 

It can be viewed as a lieu de mémoire in the sense that while it has not evolved substantially and has maintained its identity as a place of worship in Istanbul throughout the years, it has undergone physical changes in the form of reconstructions and renovations, echoing Pierre Nora’s notion that a lieu de mémoire is “a symbolic element of the memorial heritage of any community” (2). Moreover, its identity and purpose have been in flux since its inception in 1118, for it was originally constructed as a complex of three churches and has since been converted into a mosque. Yet the transformation from a Christian place of worship into an Islamic place of worship was not an abrupt change but rather entailed a series of modulations and adaptations as the structure shifted to accommodate the changing needs of different religions and empires. Thus, as a monument that is a lieu de mémoire, it contains both age value and intentional commemorative value, concepts advanced by Alois Riegl, because not only it bears the traces of time, but it also experiences restoration efforts that try to preserve its historical value. 

(1) OUSTERHOUT, ROBERT et al. “Study and Restoration of the Zeyrek Camii in Istanbul: Second Report, 2001-2005.” Dumbarton Oaks Papers, vol. 63, 2009, pp. 235–256. 

(2) Nora, Pierre. “Between Memory and History: Les Lieux De Mémoire.” Representations, no. 26, 1989, pp. 7–24.