ETH.KO. Voluntaries for Constantinople
The paved courtyard and the low, pale church of the Virgin of Blachernae with a cross-shaped window
Image credit: Sadrettin, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Fatih – Fener

Community of the Holy Spring of the Virgin of Blachernae and Saint Demetrios Xyloportas, Ayvansaray

Ayvansaray Aya Dimitri, Aya Vlaharne Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi ve Mektebi Vakfı

A Rum community foundation (vakıf) in Ayvansaray.

Official name
Ayvansaray Aya Dimitri, Aya Vlaharne Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi ve Mektebi Vakfı
District
Ayvansaray
Type
Church
Status
Active
Location
Map (OpenStreetMap)

The foundation comprises two churches in Ayvansaray: the holy spring church of the Virgin of Blachernae and the church of St Demetrios Xyloportas.

The Byzantine complex of Blachernae, built around a holy spring, was destroyed in 1434. The present, smaller church was built in the 19th century at the expense of the city’s furriers’ guild, and the holy spring inside it is still visited by pilgrims. Services held there in 2025 include the Third Stasis of the Akathist Hymn (21 March) and the feast of the Deposition of the Robe of the Virgin (2 July). According to its inscriptions, the church of St Demetrios was restored in 1933 and 1960.

The information on this page is documented by the sources listed at the end.

Sources

  1. Rum Vakıfları Derneği — Vakıflarımız
  2. Σύνδεσμος Υποστήριξης Ρωμαίικων Κοινοτικών Ιδρυμάτων — Τα βακούφια μας
  3. ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΙΕΡΟΥ ΑΓΙΑΣΜΑΤΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑΣ ΒΛΑΧΕΡΝΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ ΞΥΛΟΠΟΡΤΑΣ — rumvader.org
  4. Ayvansaray Aya Dimitri, Aya Vlaharne Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi ve Mektebi Vakfı — rumvader.org
  5. Κοινότητα Ιερού Αγιάσματος Παναγίας Βλαχερνών και Αγίου Δημητρίου Ξυλόπορτας — rumvader.org — the two churches of the foundation
  6. Church of St. Mary of Blachernae — Wikipedia — destruction of the Byzantine complex in 1434; holy spring still visited; coordinates; revision 2026-10-08
  7. Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης στο Ι. Αγίασμα της Παναγίας των Βλαχερνών για την Γ’ Στάση των Χαιρετισμών — Orthodoxia News Agency — present church built in the 19th century by the furriers' guild; service of 21 March 2025
  8. Η εορτή της Καταθέσεως της Τιμίας Εσθήτος της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου στην Παναγία των Βλαχερνών — Orthodoxia News Agency — service of 2 July 2025
  9. Ayvansaray Ayios Kananu Rum Kilisesi — Taş İstanbul (archived) — restorations of St Demetrios in 1933 and 1960 per inscriptions; archived 2016-03-05

Last updated: