St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul
The Patriarchal Cathedral Church of St. George is the principal Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and, as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire until 1453, and of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. Since about 1600, it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople whose leader is regarded as the primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and is frequently looked upon as the spiritual leader of the 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul
The exterior of the Church of St George. The façade dates from the mid-19th century and shows a neo-Classical influence that makes it quite distinct from Orthodox churches in the Byzantine style.
Inside the Patriarchal Basilica of St George in Fener (Phanar)
Saint Peter's Gate at the Patriarchate. In 1821, Patriarch Gregory V remained hanged in full robes for three days at its architrave, because he was blamed by Mahmud II for his inability to suppress the Greek War of Independence. The Gate has not been opened since.[citation needed]
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
The Church of Hagia Irene, was the cathedral church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was completed in 360
Hagia Sophia was the patriarchal cathedral until 1453
The Hagia Sophia church in Nicaea
Patriarch Gennadios with Sultan Mehmed II
