Aya İrini - Hagia Irene (Eirene)

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Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (Greek: Αγία Ειρήνη 'Holy Peace', Turkish: Aya İrini) is a former Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It is open as a museum every day except Monday but requires special permission for admission. The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks, in fact, as the first church built in Constantinople. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmed II, the church was enclosed inside the Sultan's Walls. The Janissaries (Ottoman soldiers) used the church as an armoury. It was also used as a warehouse for war booty. During the reign of Sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730) it was converted into a weapon museum. It was repaired by Field Marshall Ahmed Fethi Paşa in 1846 and became the first Turkish museum. It was used as the Military Museum from 1908 until 1978 when it was turned over to the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Today, the museum serves mainly as a concert hall for classical music performances, due to its extraordinary acoustic characteristics and impressive atmosphere. #Aya #Constantinople #Eirene #Hagia #Historical #Irene #İrini #İstanbul #Kilise #Osmanlı #Ottoman #Peninsula #Tarihi #Temple #Turkey #Türkiye #Yarımada