Around Beyazit and Sehzadebas - Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City - page 196

attractive Byzantine buildings in the city, now once again serving as
a mosque.
The most sensational discovery made during the archaeological
study of the building is a fresco cycle of the life of St. Francis of Assisi
in a small side chapel. This was executed during the Latin occupation
of the city, probably about 1250, and is the earliest cycle of the life of
St. Francis anywhere in the world, painted only about 25 years after
his death. It shows the standing figure of the saint with ten scenes
from his life and anticipates in many elements the frescoes of Giotto
at Assisi. Other discoveries include a mosaic of the “Presentation
of the Christ child in the Temple” dating probably to the seventh
century, and thus the only pre-iconoclastic icon ever found in the
city. Finally a late Byzantine mosaic of the Theotokos Kyriotissa
came to light over the main door leading to the inner narthex, thus
settling the much disputed dedication of the church. These paintings
have been removed from the church and are now on exhibit in the
Archaeological Museum, in the gallery devoted to Istanbul Through
the Ages.
Excavations under and to the north of the church have revealed a
whole series of earlier structures on the site. The earliest is the remains
of a Roman bath of the late fourth or early fifth century, including a
trilobed room, a circular chamber, and evidence of a hypocaust. This
was succeeded by a basilica of the mid-sixth century built up against
the Valens Aqueduct and utilizing the arches thereof as its north
aisle. Finally, to the south of this, was built in the pre-iconoclastic
period another church, part of the sanctuary and apse which were
incorporated in the present building. Sections of the opus sectile
floors of these earlier buildings were found under the floor of the
existing apse.
MEDRESE OF KUYUCU MURAT PAŞA
Leaving the church we walk out to Şehzadebaşı Caddesi and turn
left. (The last section of the street on which we are walking is called
Cüce Çeşmesi Sokağı, the Street of the Dwarf 's Fountain.) A short
distance along and on the right side of the street we see a small
triangular medrese. This elegant little complex was built in 1606 by