Thursday, May 07, 2026

Ayvalik – Balikesir / Turkey

Faneromeni (Ayazma) Church is called Ayazma or Faneromeni because the water inside the church, lost between the buildings in Kemal Pasha District, is considered sacred. Its name means “holy water”.
It says 1890 on the pediment at the entrance of the church. It is the late period structure of Ayvalık. The church was built on this date. The church, which is located on a flat ground, has the feature of a grid plan. The total land area of ​​the church is 200 m², and the construction area is 150 m². The outside length of the church is 17.40 m. its width is 8.60 m. The height of the church is 12 m. dir.
Unlike other churches, it was built in the northeast-southwest direction without taking religious concerns into account. In addition, the church does not have an apse.
The door on the northwest side of the church, which has four windows each on the southeast and northwest facades, was closed later, and the door on the southeast facade was closed and turned into a window. Two doors were later added to the northeast wall.
There is no naosta iconostasis. Over time, a mezzanine floor was added to the church, which was used for different purposes. The bearing columns were not used in the naosta, it was passed through only openly and covered with a gable roof. Divided into square segments
In the center of each section, a flower relief made of plaster is placed on the roof.
The top of the narthex, which is climbed by steps, is flatly covered, and flower reliefs made of plaster are also found here. There are also four carrier columns in this section.

Portaitissa Church is located in the center of Ayvalık in Sakarya District. The church, which is located on a low slope, has the feature of a grid plan. Although the total area of ​​the church is 1163 m², the church was built on 135 m². It is the smallest church in the city. The height of the church is 8 m. The outside length of the church is 13.05 m. and its width is 7.35 m. Portaitissa Church is the smallest church in the city in terms of floor area and height.
It is a long rectangular building in the northwest-southeast direction. The church has a single nave and a single apse. Unlike the others, the main entrance of the church is not located opposite the apse. The apse on the southeastern wall of the naos has a semicircular protrusion inside and outside. There is a window in the middle of the apse and a niche on both sides.
The iconostasis wall was divided into seven parts with eight plaster in front of the southeast wall. The apse is accessed through wide doors in the middle and narrow doors on each side. There were icons in the sections between the doors. None of the icons in the church exist today.
The top of the naos is covered with a barrel vault inside and a barrel roof outside. The narthex is covered with a wooden roof inside and a hipped roof outside. Tile is used on the roof. Six windows and a door are opened to the naos narrowing from outside to inside. All windows except the window opening to the bema are rectangular. The window opening to the bema is round and arched.

Where is Ayvalik?

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