VIRGIN MARY ACHEIROPIITOS
Acheiropoiitos was constructed after the third Ecumenical Council of Efesos (431 A.D.) in the fifth century A.D (450-475). It is located near Egnatia street and on Agia Sofia street, next to the Makedonomachon square. It is devoted to the mother of god and its name originates from the Christian icon titled ‘’Acheiropoiitos’’. It is known as one of the biggest temples devoted to the mother of god and constitutes a clear example of Byzantine temple masonry of the Early Christian period. The interior decoration of the temple was originally very elaborate and extremely detailed. Unfortunately, only a few though important parts have survived, such as mosaics and frescoes (dating to the 5th Century A.D.) The temple has undergone significant modifications - however, it remains one of the most well preserved Christian monuments. After 1430 it was converted to a mosque by Sultan Ahmed the Second, being one of the first temples to be used for such purposes. The building suffered a lot of damages because of its conversion and its name as a mosque was “Eski Juma”. The temple continued to function as a mosque until 1912. It was proposed at the time to house the first Byzantine museum but the plan never materialized. During World War I the church provided shelter to families of refugees.