In its history, the church at the fountain had been destroyed and then rebuilt on many occasions, at the request of the [[Theotokos|Virgin Mother]]. '''Byzantine era'''<br>In Byzantine times the sanctuary was one of the most important in Constantinople. On [[Ascension]] Day, the Emperor arrived by boat to the small harbor of the [[w:Walls_of_constantinople#Golden_Gate_and_the_Yedikule_Fortress|Golden Gate]]. He rode up to the sanctuary, where he was acclaimed by the factions, who offered him a [[cross]] and garlands. Later, he dressed in his ceremonial robe, and after receiving the [[List of Patriarchs of Constantinople|Patriarch]], the two entered the church hand-in-hand.  The [[Ascension]], the [[Wedding of Cana|Marriage at Cana]] (January 8), and the anniversary of the Miracle of Leo I on 16 August were celebrated here.<ref name="JANIN"/> Each future Empress coming to Constantinople for her wedding was received by her future spouse in the Monastery of the Spring. Due to earthquakes, the building was rebuilt in 790, under [[Irene of Athens|Empress Irene]], and after the great earthquake of 869, under [[w:Basil I|Basil I]] (867–886).<ref name="JANIN"/> On 7 September 924 Tsar [[w:Simeon I of Bulgaria|Simeon I of Bulgaria]] burned the complex, which was at once restored by [[w:Romanos I Lekapenos|Romanos I Lekapenos]] (920–944).<ref name="MAMBOURY">Ernest Mamboury. ''The Tourists' Istanbul.'' Istanbul: Çituri Biraderler Basımevi, 1953. p.208.</ref> Three years later the son of Simeon, Peter was married to Maria, the niece of Lekapenos.<ref name="JANIN"/><ref name="MAMBOURY"/> Due to its position outside the city, the monastery was often used as place of exile. In 1078 Georgios Monomachos was banished there. In 1084, Emperor [[w:Alexios I Komnenos|Alexios I Komnenos]] confined the philosopher [[w:John Italus|John Italus]] to the monastery, because of his [[w:Neoplatonism|neoplatonic]] theories.<ref name="JANIN"/> After the [[Fourth Crusade|Latin invasion of 1204]], the church was occupied by the Latin clergy and, according to Byzantine sources, this caused the end of the so called "habitual miracle" (''to synetés thauma'').<ref name="JANIN"/> In 1328 [[w:Andronikos III Palaiologos|Andronikos III Palaiologos]] used the monastery as base to attack Constantinople. Two years later, as he lay dying in the town of Didymoteicho, he drank water from the spring and recovered at once.<ref name="JANIN"/> During the [[w:Siege of Constantinople (1422)|Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1422]], Sultan [[w:Murad II|Murad II]] camped in the sanctuary. It is unknown whether the Byzantines restored the building before the [[Fall of Constantinople|conquest of the city in 1453]]. Russian pilgrims of the fifteenth century do not mention the church, only the spring.<ref name="JANIN"/>

After serving the Christian people at Constantinople for about 1,000 years, [[Muslim]] invaders tore down the church in 1453 after taking over the city of Constantinople. The [[w:Church of St. Mary of the Spring (Istanbul)|Church of the Life-giving Spring]] was destroyed and its building materials were used to construct the [[w:Bayezid II Mosque|Bayezid II Mosque]] for the Sultan. The church site was covered with earth and crushed stone, so that the very foundations of the church disappeared from sight. The beautiful surrounding areas were turned into a Muslim cemetery. A Turkish sentinel, placed at the ruins of the church, forbade Christians not only to gather at the site, but even to approach there.  The 16th-century French scholar [[w:Petrus Gyllius|Pierre Gilles]] writes that in 1547 the church did not exist anymore, but the sick continued to attend the spring.<ref name="JANIN"/>

Little by little, the strictness of this ban eased, and Christians were permitted to build a small church there. In 1727 Metropolitan Nikodemos of [[Metropolis of Derkoi|Dercos and Neochorion]], built a small chapel above the [[Life-Giving Spring|Hagiasma]]. Twenty-five steps led down into the [[chapel]], which had a window in the roof to let the light in. The holy Spring was still there, surrounded by a railing. An [[icon]], discovered in the foundations of the old church, was worshiped in the chapel. The Armenians tried to take possession of the spring, but several [[w:Firman (decree)|firmans]] secured the possession to the Greeks. The complex was controlled by Turkish guardians, who collected from the [[Pilgrimage|pilgrims]] a tax that they used for the maintenance of the prisons. Later the complex came into the possession of the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate]].

However after the onset of [[w:Greek War of Independence |Greek War of Independence]] in 1821, even this little chapel was destroyedby the [[w:Janissary|Janissaries]], who also poisoned the spring and the Spring was buried it under the rubble.

A decade later, a group of Christians received permission to excavate the fallen church to rediscover the blessed waters. Even upon these shards of the former magnificent holy structure, the [[Theotokos]], as before, granted hearings through her grace. Later, among the broken pieces in one of the windows was found, already half-rotted away through time and dampness, a panel on which were recorded ten miracles which occurred at the [[Life-Giving Spring|Life-giving Spring ]] during the period 1824-1829.

During the latter reign of Sultan [[w:Mahmud II|Mahmoud II]](1808-39), the Orthodox received a measure of freedom to conduct religious services. They used it In 1833, a [[w:Firman (decree)|firman]] allowed Patriarch [[Constantius I of Constantinople]] (1830-34) to erect, for rebuild the church. For the third time, a large and prestigious church was erected above the sacred [[Life-Giving Spring|Life-giving Spring]], with work beginning in July of 1833. While workmen were clearing the ground, they uncovered the foundations of the earlier church. The Sultan allowed them to build not just a chapel, but a new and beautiful church on the foundations of the old one. Construction began on [[September 14]], 1833, and was completed on [[December 30]], 1834.

On [[February 2]], 1835, with great pomp, the Ecumenical Patriarch [[Constantius II of Constantinople]](1834-35), celebrating with 12 [[bishop]]s and an enormous flood of the faithful, [[Consecration of a church|consecrated the church]] which stands to this day, dedicating it to the Most Holy [[Theotokos]].