Abstract:

Fenari Isa Mosque is located at Aksaray, Fatih in Istanbul, at the corner of Vatan Street and Halıcılar Street; an important important historical monument for the Byzantine and Ottoman Period. The building is the Constantinos Lips Monastery Church which was built in the 10th century (Middle Byzantine Period). The church was extended with new buildings in the Paleologan Period. At the end of the 13th century or at the just begining of the 14th century, a new church (Hagios Ioannes Prodromos Church) was built the south side. Then, at the end of the 14th century a parecclesion and an exonartex were erected. In the 17th century, the building was converted into a mosque with new arrangements. In this article; the effects of the 1894 earthquake on the building and repair works are evaluated with the Ottoman archival documents. After the 1894 earthquake, the building was closed because it was ruined. As it was an old monument (Asar-ı Atika) and used before the earthquake; petitions by local community and authorities, were submitted to the Sultan for its renovation (According to documents BOA, BEO 517/38754 and BOA, EV.MKT 02048.00107). The repair book which is dated 1896 (BOA, İ.EV.13) shows the work items about repair and budget for them, that 27.526 kuruş. The information and quantities given by this document are checked with drawings of the building and old photographs. From the repair book, we could learn the condition of the building in the 19th century; the exterior walls of the building were plastered, the roof covering was tile except the domes were lead cover. An important information that learned; the exonarthex had served as a last prayer hall and covered with a timber roof and a timber (bağdâdî) ceiling. The dimensions of the minaret, which was recorded to repair book, show that the expansion of it was smaller that the minaret of today.

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