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==History==
After the fall of Constantinople to the [[Islam|Muslim]] Ottoman Turks in 1453, the population of Constantinople became largely Muslim. The [[Phanar]] district, which is northwest of the center of old Constantinople, became the center of Greek Christian life in the conquered city. Following the fall of Constantinople to Mohammed II, he assigned the use of the Church of the Holy Apostles (the burial place of Theodora, wife of Emperor Justinian) to Patriarch [[Gennadius Scholarius]] as his [[cathedra]]. Since the church was in a section of the city with few Christians, Gennadius was given permission to use the Church of the Pammakaristos as the cathedral church. Pammakaristos remained the patriarchal seat from 1456 to 1586 when the Sultan took it back and converted it into a mosque. Over the next couple decades the Patriarchal cathedra first moved to the Church of the Panagia of Consolation and then to Church of St. Demetrius of Xyloporta.<ref>Claude Delaval Cobham, ''The Patriarchs of Constantinople'', H.T. E. Duckworth, ''Introduction II'', 84-85</ref> In 1601, Patriarch Matthew II moved the patriarchate to the [[church]] of the female [[monastery]] of [[George|St. George]] in the Phanar district, making it his [[cathedral]] church. During the following years the original church was much modified.
In 1614, Patr. Timothy changed and enlarged the church. In the late seventeenth century Patr. Callinicus II the Acarnan modified the church again. Early in the eighteenth century the church was severely damaged by fire. Patr. Jeremias III finally received permission in 1720 from the Turks to begin rebuilding the church. The reconstruction effort, begun by Jeremias III, was continued under Patr. Paisius II. A major fire in 1738 again severely damaged the church, and permission to rebuild it was not obtained until 1797.
