Tucked behind a high wall in the neighborhood of Fener, St. Mary of the Mongols is a small Byzantine Orthodox church that has been a continuous place of Christian worship prior to the conquest of Istanbul. Unlike other Byzantine churches in Istanbul, it was never converted into a mosque or a museum. It is said the church was once been connected to the Hagia Sophia through a secret underground passageway. Today, although it is open to visitors, the site is kept under lock and key. The only way in is…
