The Monastery of Theotokos Peribleptos was a Middle Byzantine church in the region of Psamathia (Turkish Samatya). There is a modern Armenian church dedicated to St. George (Armenian Surp Kevork) at the location now. Its original name Peribleptos (περίβλεπτος) has been variously translated as “celebrated” or “blessed”, while its Turkish name, Sulu Manastır (“Water Monastery”), refers to its holy spring (hagiasma) located southwest of the current church. Though the original church was destroyed by a fire in 1782, substructures of the 11th century church have survived.

The monastery was built by Emperor Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034) between 1030 and 1034, who spent lavishly on the complex and was later buried there. Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1078-1081) also expanded the monastic complex. After being forced to abdicate by Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118), he retired to the monastery and was eventually buried there. The monastery was involved in the Bogomil controversy in the 11th and 12th century. The Bogomils, called Phoundagiagites by the Byzantines, were a dualistic heresy which, according to a monk living there, Euthymios of Akmonia, supposedly had managed even to gain adherents at Peribleptos. In 1143 a monk named Niphon was condemned as a Bogomil heretic at a synod held at the monastery.

After the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, the church briefly remained in the Orthodox hands, but then became the possession of Venetian Benedictines around 1206. It seems it was restored by Michael VIII Palaiologos (1261-1282), as it had a mosaic depiction of the emperor with his wife Theodora and son Constantine which was visible until 1782.  It was a prominent monastery during the Palaiologan period, with the imperial court visiting it on the feast of the Presentation in the Temple. It attracted many pilgrims and visitors who reported that it possessed numerous relics, including the hand of St. John the Baptist, the head of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and the jaw of St. Stephen. It is possible that some of these relics were later brought to Topkapı Palace, where several relics can be found today. Several accounts by travelers and pilgrims described the monastery, including one written by Ruy González de Clavijo, the Spanish ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the Mongolian ruler Timur who visited the monastery in 1402. The main building had a courtyard and richly decorated imperial tombs, while the monastic complex had with a large refectory and living quarters for the monks, as well as gardens and vineyards. Its refectory contained Christological mosaics and the cloister an image of the Tree of Jesse. Manuel II Palaiologos (1391-1425) stayed in the monastery during an epidemic and during the siege of the city by Sultan Murad II.

There are various accounts of the church following the Ottoman conquest. It seems that either it remained an Orthodox possession until 1643 when it was granted the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate, or at an earlier date – later in the reign of Sultan Mehmet II (1451-1481) – it became the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate. Regardless, it seems that it was a major source of conflict between the Greeks and Armenians living in the city during this period. The original 11th century katholikon survived until it was destroyed by a fire in 1782. The current church, which was finished around 1887, is also the location of an Armenian school.

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Substructure of the Church

While the church was destroyed by a fire in 1782, its substructure managed to survive. There are exposed arches belong to the substructure on the slope of the hill to the south of the modern church. It seems that this substructure both formed a support for the main building and served as a terrace to counteract the sloping terrain. The type of building is still debated; it has been suggest that it had either cross-domed-octagon or the cross-in-square plan. It is also among the earliest known examples of a Byzantine structure with recessed brick. The plan of this substructure can be compared with the substructures of the monasteries of the Myrelaion and St. George of Mangana or perhaps Byzantine church-mosque Gül Mosque.

The site of the church, including the main substructure as well as a cistern and a smaller substructure, was surveyed by Ferudun Özgümüş in 1997-1998. The substructure consists of a cross-in-square plan, which possibly indicates the plan of the church above it. The naos is around 10.20 by 10.30 meters, with four piers that likely supported the church above. There is a tripartite narthex on its west end, with a cross vault over the central bay, which connects to the naos by a narrow passageway. There are barrel-vaulted corridors leading from the north and south bays. There are also corridors leading to north and south of the aisle. A second corridor leading from the north has a barrel-vaulted rectangular chamber at the end that once might have been a tomb. In addition, the bema east of the naos has corridors running to the north and south. These connect to secondary apses (one in the north, two in the south) and end in rectangular chambers. At the end of the north corridor there is a staircase leading upstairs, with another staircase possibly located to the south as well. There is another substructure is located 15-20 meters to the east of the main substructure. It is L-shaped with barrel-vaults; its east arm measures around 8.50 by 4 meters, while its west arm is approximately 9.80 by 5.30 meters. It has been suggested that this belongs to an older Byzantine structure as it is not made of recessed brick. There is also a cistern located under the southwest corner of the current church.