Hagia Irene

Hagia Irene
Status	Museum
Location
Location	Istanbul, Turkey
Shown within Istanbul Fatih
Geographic coordinates	41°0′35″N 28°58′52″E / 41.00972°N 28.98111°E / 41.00972; 28.98111
Architecture
Type	Church
Style	Byzantine
Groundbreaking	532
Materials	Brick, stone
Website
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Historic Areas of Istanbul
Criteria	Cultural: i, ii, iii, iv
Reference	356
Inscription	1985 (9th Session)

Hagia Irene (Greek: Αγία Ειρήνη) or Hagia Eirene (Medieval Greek: Ἁγία Εἰρήνη Greek pronunciation: [aˈʝia iˈrini], "Holy Peace", Turkish: Aya İrini), sometimes known also as Saint Irene, is an Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. It is the oldest known church structure in the city and one of the only Byzantine churches in Istanbul that was never converted into a mosque, alongside the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols, as it was used as an arsenal for storing weapons until the 19th century.^[1] The Hagia Irene today^[when?] operates as a museum and concert hall.