Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of St. George

Overview

Last Christmas afternoon, we walked up a street in Fener, passed a security check at a plain gate and stepped into a courtyard. Inside the small church at its end, candles glowed on a wall of gold, and the chant of the service filled the air. This is the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a spiritual center of the Orthodox world, and a moving place to visit in Istanbul. With a guide, join our Greek Orthodox Istanbul tour.

What Is the Ecumenical Patriarchate?

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the “first among equals” of the Orthodox churches. Before 1453, the patriarchs’ cathedral was Hagia Sophia. After the Ottoman conquest, they used other churches, among them the Pammakaristos Church up the hill, until in the early 17th century they settled in the former convent of St. George in Fener. Since then, “the Phanar” has meant the Patriarchate itself.

Under Ottoman rules, churches had to be smaller and humbler than mosques. So the Patriarchal church is modest from outside, a neoclassical stone front in a courtyard. Inside, however, it shines.

Inside the Church of St. George

The iconostasis

First, look ahead. A tall screen of gilded wood, covered in icons, separates the nave from the altar. Chandeliers hang in front of it, and on feast days, the candles make the whole wall glow.

The thrones and the stalls

Next, notice the tall ebony stalls that line the nave between dark green columns. Among them stands the patriarchal throne, which tradition dates to the 5th century, saved from fire after fire. Behind the altar, the bishops’ seats curve around the apse.

The relics

Finally, find the relics. The church keeps relics of Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom, two of the great Church Fathers. Crusaders carried some of them off in 1204, and in 2004, Pope John Paul II returned them, eight centuries later.

Services at the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The church comes alive at the great feasts. The Patriarchate celebrates Christmas on December 25, and a week later, on New Year’s Day, the feast of Saint Basil, we came back for the liturgy. In our short film, clergy climb the steps of the throne under the chandeliers.

Then, every January 6, at Epiphany, the Patriarch blesses the waters of the Golden Horn and throws a cross into the sea. On Holy Thursday, when needed, the holy chrism for the Orthodox churches is consecrated here. We plan your visit around the service times of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

How to Visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Patriarchate stands in Fener, on the Golden Horn, a short walk from the Fener ferry pier and the waterfront buses. No ticket is needed, but expect a strict security check at the gate, and dress modestly.

We visit it on our three faiths tour and on private tours of Fener and Balat. Nearby, see the Bulgarian Iron Church by the water and, further up the hill, the mosaics of the Chora. A few lanes above, the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols has never stopped serving as a church since Byzantine times.