Church of St. Mary of the Spring

The Monastery of the Mother of God at the Spring (full name in Greek: Μονὴ τῆς Θεοτόκου τῆς Πηγῆς, pr. Moni tis Theotóku tis Pigis; Turkish name: Balıklı Meryem Ana Rum Manastiri) or simply Zoödochos Pege (Greek: Ζωοδόχος Πηγή, "Life-giving Spring") is an Eastern Orthodox sanctuary in Istanbul, Turkey. The present church, built in 1835, bears the same dedication as the shrine erected in this place between the end of the fifth and the beginning of the sixth century. After several renovations, this building was destroyed in the first half of the fifteenth century by the Ottomans. The complex got its name from a nearby holy spring, reputed to have healing properties. For almost fifteen hundred years, this sanctuary has been one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Greek Orthodoxy.