Church of St. Mary of Blachernae, Istanbul

The church of Saint Mary of Blachernae is an Eastern Orthodox Church, located in the Fatih district in the neighborhood of Ayvansaray. It is just a short walk from the Golden Horn, and the complex consisting of the church itself and a garden, is protected by a high wall. The church was built in 1867 and dedicated to Saint Mary of Blachernae, whose shrine was erected here in the fifth century by Empress Aelia Pulcheria and her husband Emperor Marcian. The shrine was destroyed in 1434, and until its destruction, it was a very important Greek Orthodoxy sanctuary.

The church complex contains two other buildings aside from the Church itself, which are the Sacred Bath and the Chapel of the Reliquary. These were erected by Emperor Leo I, and the Holy Reliquary hosts the holy mantle and the robe of the Virgin, that have been recovered from Palestine in the year 473. The Sacred Bath encloses a fountain.

The Church is constructed in the fashion of a Basilica, with three aisles and two colonnades. A dome was also built on the Church structure by Justinian. The original mosaics have been replaced by images of flora and fauna, but the church is still visited today by tourists due to its historic significance.