The beeswax icon is hand-carved with great attention to details. Thanks to the addition of incense during the manufacturing process the icon exudes a light aroma, which is firmly associated in our minds with the calming atmosphere of church rooms.
Life-giving Spring or Life-giving Font is a holy spring found in Constantinople, not far from the Golden Gate. This was the site of the emperor's summer residence. The Mother of God is called the Life-giving Spring, because She accepted into her womb our Lord Jesus Christ who is life itself.
There are two prevailing legends regarding the discovery of the spring, according to which two different emperors discovered this sanctuary after the miracle revealed to them. However, we can say with certainty that in the 6th century A.D. the Church of the Life-giving Spring already existed.
in the 14th century A.D., Nicephorus Callistus has listed the great miracles of this holy place.
Today in the courtyard of the Life-giving Spring there are tombs of the Ecumenical Patriarchs. The sacred spring is a marble reservoir located in the lower level of the temple. A mosaic image of the icon is kept in the monastery of Chora.
The celebration of the renewal of the Church of the Life-giving Spring and the commemoration of the great miracles that occurred in the temple, takes place on the Friday of Bright Week, in memory of the consecration of the Church by Emperor Leo.
The temple is also known as the monastery of Balikli (translated from Turkish as "fishy"). According to tradition, on May 23, 1453 A.D a monk was frying fish near the spring when someone brought him news of the fall of Constantinople. The monk replied that only if the fish he was frying left the pan and fell into the spring would he believe this could have happened. And indeed, the fish came to life and fell into the holy water spring. To this day there are fish in the spring that have dark marks on their sides, as if they had been fried.
