During the heyday of the Empire of Trebziond, it was used as the resting-place for a number of dignitaries including Emperor John II Megas Komnenos in 1297, Metropolitan Niphon in 1364, and Emperor Alexios IV Megas Komnenos in 1429.

[2] The church became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and first prayer was attended by Mehmet II, who adjoined a madrasah (Fatih Madrasa) to the building.

She mentions a report of a plaque bearing the date 914 found (since lost) under the floor of the present building during repairs in 1877; there is also a dedication hymn that was sung at its rebuilding after the Hamigogullari set fire to the town in 1341.

"[4] Ballance does note a number of minor details, such as lower windows and blocked doorways, date to the Turkish period.

[5] Selina Ballance, who studied the building in 1958, described it as follows: "Though strongly basilical in character, it has a dome, and transepts open from floor to vault running north and south to the outer walls; the aisles, like the nave, are barrel-vaulted, with ribs, but have galleries over them, even over the eastern bays which are cut off from the rest by the transepts: and the vaults of the aisle bays on the ground floor span at right-angles to those of the nave and the galleries.