Pantokrator Monastery—Zeyrek Mosque: The Preserved Byzantine Hospital in Istanbul

Abstract

Istanbul, home to numerous historical treasures, houses one of the oldest fully constructed hospitals. This 50-bed hospital was built in the early 12th century during the Byzantine period by Empress Irene of Hungary and her husband Emperor John II Komnenos inside one of the largest monasteries of its time. The monastery housed one of the first hospitals and schools of medicine and included a nursing home, ophthalmologic health center, library, and cemetery. After the Empress died, her husband continued to enlarge the complex to its current state. Soon after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the complex was renamed after Zeyrek Mehmet, who was ordered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet II or Mehmed the Conqueror) to convert the monastery into a mosque, constructing a Fatih Medrese for a short period of time. The hospital, however, remained untouched, and its rooms were used for Koran lessons. The building was fully restored from 2009 to 2017 and is still used as a mosque today. We would like to introduce the Pantokrator Monastery, maybe the only remaining hospital of the Byzantine era. Although it was built in the 12th century, the monastery is still a modern facility meeting current standards.