Eating & drinking in monastery’s shadow
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 22, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Lying on the east side of the magnificent Byzantine Church of the Pantocrator, Zeyrekhane Restaurant forms a green oasis in a busy city. The restaurant is in a building of pink stone walls and distinguished by large arched windows
Through the misty twilight falling
Voices from afar are calling
Calling all the weary
Homeward to their rest
The evening bell is softly peeling
While from off the cloisters stealing
A sweet prayer of mercy
Peaceful and so blessed*
The lyrics of this song may have fit Zeyrekhane in the 12th century, but not today as the sound of the monastery bell summoning the monks to vespers prayers is missing. Unfortunately, the Zeyrekhane Restaurant is not open very early in the morning when some of the peace of the monastery can be captured as the sun comes up over the distant Anatolian hills, lighting up Istanbul’s mosques, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower and the trees covering the restaurant. At that time, the monastery of the Pantocrator is peaceful and quiet, before the morning traffic noises awaken and the ghosts of emperors and empresses go to sleep. Lying on the eastern side of the magnificent Byzantine Church of the Pantocrator, the Zeyrekhane Restaurant forms a green oasis in a busy city. The restaurant is in a building made of pink, stone walls and distinguished by large, arched windows. It is considered to be an Ottoman mansion.
Antique walls
Inside, the walls are made of dressed stone in the irregular way the Ottomans built their fortification and monumental walls. The ceilings are barrel vaults made of brick from which elegant chandeliers hang. The walls show off old antiques found in Anatolia and the antique sellers of Istanbul. Pilav dishes, shelves for holding turbans, prayer plaques, candelabras, rose water flasks and many other items from the Ottoman period, fitting for a place that became the center of a large mosque complex following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Turkish industrialist Rahmi Koc is said to have chosen all of the decorations himself. During good weather you can enjoy the terrace as well.
The name, Zeyrek (intelligent), derives from the name of the man who took over the complex, Molla Zeyrek. Zeyrek, however, angered the sultan and left for Bursa where he spent the rest of his life.
The Zeyrekhane Restaurant serves a variety of dishes ranging from sandwiches, salads and omelets for those interested in something light, to entrees, main courses and desserts. The restaurant offers an Ottoman-Turkish menu and, with very few exceptions, the dishes seem typical of what you might expect to find in many Turkish restaurants. For a main course, you can choose between lamb, chicken or veal. There is no fish, but that is not unusual in Istanbul where many restaurants only offer fish and not meat, and vice versa.
The terrace actually is a great place to have a cocktail party and not just because of the view. A patch of green grass is decorated with symbols from the Ottoman period, including the iron moon-and-star emblem seen on the tops of old buildings. The atmosphere and the lights on nearby mosques at night make such a dining occasion quite special. If you are interested, there are also good quality souvenirs for sale in the restaurant.
The restaurant came about due to an agreement between the Fatih municipality, in which the area is located, and the Rahmi Koc Museology and Culture Foundation that gave permission for the restoration of the area and building. The restoration of the church of the Pantocrator is being undertaken independently and has been going on for years, although that does not diminish the restaurant’s charm. It may seem to be a strange place to have a restaurant because of the rundown district it is located in, but the buildings in the area have been scheduled for renovation as part of a UNESCO project. Zeyrekhane is part of the Divan chain of restaurants.
There are no ghosts, although one may have reason to believe the Empress Eirene, who started the building one of the churches at the Pantocrator, could step down from her depiction in a mosaic in the St. Sophia Museum and join the party. She certainly would have made an outstanding guest.
*From "IN A MONASTERY GARDEN" Albert W. Ketelbey Ğ music 1915, Riley Lee Ğlyrics 1921
Zeyrekhane Restaurant
Sinanasa Mahallesi Ibadethanearkasi Sok. No. 10 Zeyrek-Fatih Tel: (0212) 532 27 78.
Voices from afar are calling
Calling all the weary
Homeward to their rest
The evening bell is softly peeling
While from off the cloisters stealing
A sweet prayer of mercy
Peaceful and so blessed*
The lyrics of this song may have fit Zeyrekhane in the 12th century, but not today as the sound of the monastery bell summoning the monks to vespers prayers is missing. Unfortunately, the Zeyrekhane Restaurant is not open very early in the morning when some of the peace of the monastery can be captured as the sun comes up over the distant Anatolian hills, lighting up Istanbul’s mosques, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower and the trees covering the restaurant. At that time, the monastery of the Pantocrator is peaceful and quiet, before the morning traffic noises awaken and the ghosts of emperors and empresses go to sleep. Lying on the eastern side of the magnificent Byzantine Church of the Pantocrator, the Zeyrekhane Restaurant forms a green oasis in a busy city. The restaurant is in a building made of pink, stone walls and distinguished by large, arched windows. It is considered to be an Ottoman mansion.
Antique walls
Inside, the walls are made of dressed stone in the irregular way the Ottomans built their fortification and monumental walls. The ceilings are barrel vaults made of brick from which elegant chandeliers hang. The walls show off old antiques found in Anatolia and the antique sellers of Istanbul. Pilav dishes, shelves for holding turbans, prayer plaques, candelabras, rose water flasks and many other items from the Ottoman period, fitting for a place that became the center of a large mosque complex following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Turkish industrialist Rahmi Koc is said to have chosen all of the decorations himself. During good weather you can enjoy the terrace as well.
The name, Zeyrek (intelligent), derives from the name of the man who took over the complex, Molla Zeyrek. Zeyrek, however, angered the sultan and left for Bursa where he spent the rest of his life.
The Zeyrekhane Restaurant serves a variety of dishes ranging from sandwiches, salads and omelets for those interested in something light, to entrees, main courses and desserts. The restaurant offers an Ottoman-Turkish menu and, with very few exceptions, the dishes seem typical of what you might expect to find in many Turkish restaurants. For a main course, you can choose between lamb, chicken or veal. There is no fish, but that is not unusual in Istanbul where many restaurants only offer fish and not meat, and vice versa.
The terrace actually is a great place to have a cocktail party and not just because of the view. A patch of green grass is decorated with symbols from the Ottoman period, including the iron moon-and-star emblem seen on the tops of old buildings. The atmosphere and the lights on nearby mosques at night make such a dining occasion quite special. If you are interested, there are also good quality souvenirs for sale in the restaurant.
The restaurant came about due to an agreement between the Fatih municipality, in which the area is located, and the Rahmi Koc Museology and Culture Foundation that gave permission for the restoration of the area and building. The restoration of the church of the Pantocrator is being undertaken independently and has been going on for years, although that does not diminish the restaurant’s charm. It may seem to be a strange place to have a restaurant because of the rundown district it is located in, but the buildings in the area have been scheduled for renovation as part of a UNESCO project. Zeyrekhane is part of the Divan chain of restaurants.
There are no ghosts, although one may have reason to believe the Empress Eirene, who started the building one of the churches at the Pantocrator, could step down from her depiction in a mosaic in the St. Sophia Museum and join the party. She certainly would have made an outstanding guest.
*From "IN A MONASTERY GARDEN" Albert W. Ketelbey Ğ music 1915, Riley Lee Ğlyrics 1921
Zeyrekhane Restaurant
Sinanasa Mahallesi Ibadethanearkasi Sok. No. 10 Zeyrek-Fatih Tel: (0212) 532 27 78.