Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church
Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church | |
---|---|
İstanbul Mor Efrem Süryani Kadim Ortodoks Kilisesi | |
ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܕܣܘܪ̈ܝܝܐ ܩܕ̈ܡܝܐ ܐܪ̈ܬܕܘܟܣܝܐ | |
Istanbul |
The Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church (
History
Its construction spanned a decade, including seven years for administrative formalities.[2] In 2009, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to find space for the building.[3] The land was allocated by Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş:[4] It is an Italian Latin Catholic cemetery[3] confiscated in 1950 by the Turkish state and unused since 1996.[5][6] According to Erdoğan, the Holy See was consulted during the process.[1] The church is not built on the graves but in the empty space in front of the cemetery.[6][7]
In 2015, Prime Minister
It was inaugurated on 8 October 2023 by Erdoğan,
The cost of construction is estimated at $4 million, funded with donations by the community. It benefited from the value-added tax exemption for places of worship.[7][5]
Building
The church has a capacity of 750 people.[2] It is the second Syriac Orthodox church in Istanbul and it will serve the 17,000 Assyrians living in Istanbul,[6][a] most of them in Yeşilköy.[12] It is a five-story building.[2] Its architecture is inspired by Syriac churches and monasteries in Mardin Province.[6][13]
See also
Notes
- ^ There is also a Syriac Catholic church in Istanbul.
References
- ^ a b c "Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan: Nefret suçlarına göz yumanlar, farklı kültürlerin bir arada yaşama iradesini dinamitlemektedir". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ a b c "Türkiye's 1st Orthodox church built in post-republic era set to open". Daily Sabah. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b "Erdogan lays stone for modern Turkey's first new church". France 24. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Türkiye's first new Syriac church awaits inauguration". Daily Sabah. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b c "First new church in Turkey in more than 100 years". cne.news. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b c d Kucuk, Elif (2022-02-16). "1st church built in Turkish republican era nearing completion". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b "Türkiye plans to open its first-ever newly-built church soon". Daily Sabah. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Türkiye'de modern tarihin ilk Süryani Kilisesi için temel atıldı: Erdoğan ve İmamoğlu törene katıldı". tr.euronews.com (in Turkish). 3 August 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ Alhas, Ali Murat; Bilgiç, Büşra Nur. "'Syriac Orthodox church gives Istanbul new richness'". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Erdogan opens modern Turkish state's first new church". France 24. 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ "Cumhuriyetin ilk kilisesi açılıyor… Süryani Ruhani Lideri'nin ilk röportajı CNN Türk'te". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- ^ "President Erdoğan inaugurates Türkiye's 1st post-republic era church". Daily Sabah. 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ "Republic's first church preparing for its opening - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. 2023-01-08. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
External links
- Photos of the church: "Turkey set to open first church in republic's history". Gazete Duvar. 2023-04-10.