Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

In the historic Fener quarter along the Golden Horn stands the spiritual centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the senior see of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Its Church of St George, rebuilt in the early nineteenth century, contains a richly gilded iconostasis, revered relics and a patriarchal throne said to date from Byzantine times. Though modest outside owing to Ottoman-era restrictions, the interior glows with icons and lamps. As the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch, it remains a focus of world Orthodoxy.