Gül Mosque

Overlooking the Golden Horn in the Fatih district, this large mosque was once a substantial Byzantine church, probably that of Saint Theodosia, dating to the eleventh or twelfth century. Its towering brick structure, with a domed cross plan and tall arched windows, still dominates its hillside above the water. Converted after the conquest, it takes its Turkish name, the mosque of the rose, from a legend of the city's fall. Repaired after fire and earthquake, it survives as an imposing example of monumental Byzantine church building.