Hagia Irene (Aya İrini): the Byzantine church inside Topkapı

Updated on October 1, 2026

Hagia Irene (Aya İrini) stands in the First Courtyard of [Topkapı Palace](/fr/attractions/palais-de-topkapi), a stone's throw from [Hagia Sophia](/fr/attractions/sainte-sophie-istanbul). It is one of the oldest churches in Constantinople: the present building was rebuilt under Emperor Justinian after the fire of the Nika riots in 532, then restored after the earthquake of 740. Unlike most of the city's churches, it was never turned into a mosque: the Ottomans used it as an arsenal, then as a museum. Its bare interior of brick and stone, with no furniture or painted decoration, gives a rare idea of 6th-century Byzantine architecture. You can visit it with the Topkapı combined ticket or with a single ticket at 1,050 Turkish lira for foreign visitors (prices checked in October 2026). Allow 30 minutes.

Highlights

The cross in the apse

In the half-dome of the apse, a simple black cross on a gold ground replaces images of Christ and the saints. It dates from the Iconoclast period, in the 8th century, when the Byzantine Empire banned depictions of sacred figures: it is one of the few decorations from that era to survive.

The dome and the nave

The large dome on its drum, pierced by twenty windows, lights a very tall nave. Below the apse, the semicircular tiers of the synthronon, where the clergy sat, are still in place.

The atrium

Hagia Irene has kept its atrium, the porticoed courtyard that stood in front of early Christian churches. It is the only surviving example in Istanbul.

The outer walls

Seen from Topkapı's First Courtyard, the mass of red brick, half buried as the ground level rose over the centuries, shows the difference in height between the Byzantine city and today's city.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Single ticket 1,050 TL for foreign visitors, or included in the combined palace + Harem + Hagia Irene ticket at 2,750 TL; free up to age 6, reduced rate for students aged 7 to 25 (prices checked in October 2026 on the National Palaces website). The Müze Kart is not valid here. The combined ticket is the best deal if you are also visiting the palace: go into Hagia Irene before passing through the Gate of Salutation, since it stands in the First Courtyard. The church's acoustics made it a historic concert venue of the Istanbul Music Festival, held every June by the İKSV foundation.

How to get there

First Courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi, Babıhümayun Caddesi, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul. Tram T1 to Sultanahmet or Gülhane, then a 5-minute walk: go through the Imperial Gate, behind Hagia Sophia, and the church is on the left.