y reason for this conjecture is
that the church in question stood where Balaban Aga Mesjedi stands, in
the neighbourhood of the forum of Taurus,[462] now represented by the
open area beside the War Office and the mosque of Sultan Bajazet. But
the plan of the building does not correspond to the description given of
the Theotokos in the district of the Curator. The latter resembled the
Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem,[463] and was therefore circular, whereas
Balaban Aga Mesjedi is a hexagon. Indeed, it may be questioned whether
the building was ever a church, seeing it has no room for either a berm,
or an apse, or an eikonostosis. It may have been the library of a
monastic establishment.

_Architectural Features_

(For Plans see p. 267.)

Internally the building is an accurate hexagon, with a deeply arched
recess in each side. Five recesses have a window, while in the sixth
recess, instead of a window, there is a door. The cornice and wooden
ceiling are Turkish. Externally the edifice shows four sides, two
circular and two flat projecting bays, arranged in alternate order. In
each of the circular sides are two windows, while the fifth window and
the entrance are respectively in the flat sides. A Turkish narthex
fronts one-half of the building. (Plate LV.)

[Illustration: FIGS. 90, 91, AND 92.]

[460] _Esq. top._ p. 70.

[461] Banduri, i. p. 18.

[462] Synax., July 22nd, December 7th.

[463] Banduri, _ut supra_.

CHAPTER XX

THE CHURCH OF THE GASTRIA,
SANJAKDAR MESJEDI

This mosque is situated in the quarter of Psamathia, at a short distance
to the north of the Armenian church of S. George (Soulou Monastir),
which stands on the site of the Byzantine church of S. Mary Peribleptos.
Paspates,[464] who first recognized the Byzantine character of the
edifice, regards it as the chapel attached to the convent of the Gastria
([Greek: Mone ton Gastrion, ta Gastria], _i.e._ in the district of the
Flower-pots). His reasons for that opinion are: first, the building is
situated in the district of Psamathia, where the convent of the Gastria
stood; secondly, it is in the neighbourhood of the Studion, with which
the convent of the Gastria was closely associated during the
iconoclastic controversy; thirdly, the copious and perennial stream of
water that flows through the grounds below the mosque would favour the
existence of a flower-garden in this part of the city, and thus give
occasion for the bestowal of the nam