Hagia Irene Church Museum

Hagia Irene Church, which is the first church of Byzantine, was built on Roman temples by Constantine in 330s. Hagia Irene, which means "Holy Peace" or "Divine Peace" as a word, is located in the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace. Hagia Irene Church Museum, which is visited by thousands of local and foreign tourists every year due to its proximity to Hagia Sophia known all over the world, actually has the title of being the largest Byzantine church in Istanbul that has not been turned into a mosque.

The Hagia Irene Church, of which construction date goes back to the 4th century and has traces of Byzantine architecture in general terms, was built during the period of Constantine I covering the years 324 to 337. The historical building, which was severely damaged as a result of earthquakes in the 8th and 9th centuries, could not be turned into a mosque as it remained in the place surrounding Sur-ı Sultani, that is, Topkapı Palace, after the conquest of Istanbul. Hagia Irene Church, which has been used for different purposes such as interior ammunition and the weapon warehouse of the Ministry of War, has managed to survive since its first construction without losing its architectural texture.

The first objects collected in Hagia Irene church, where the first museum works began in Turkey, consisted of Mecma-i Esliha-i Atika known as the Old Weapons Collection and Antiquities Collection. The works moved to Tiled Pavilion in 1875 afterwards were presented to the visitors as a "military museum" until 1949.

It is also possible to go to Hagia Irene Church Museum, which can be easily reached by getting off at the Gülhane stop of the Kabataş - Bağcılar tram line, by Üsküdar - Eminönü and Kadıköy Eminönü ferries. Hagia Irene Church Museum, which is closed to visitors today, can only be visited with the permission of Hagia Sophia Museum Directorate.