Preliminary Observations on the Structural Condition of a Byzantine Monument in Historic Peninsula of Istanbul: Pantokrator Church

Abstract

The Church of Pantokrator (Zeyrek Mosque) is a Byzantine located in the Zeyrek district of Istanbul which was included in the World Heritage List in 1985 by UNESCO. The church suffered from earthquakes, fires and alterations in its history. In this paper, a brief history of the church, description of the northern structure with its damages and a preliminary analysis of the structure including an intervention proposal is presented. The reason to choose the northern part of the complex was due to its fragile condition in comparison with the other parts of the monument. This part has severe cracks on its structural elements and consequently during a possible repair and conservation work, it has priority.