Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church
| Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն Եկեղեցի Beyoğlu Üç Horan Ermeni Kilisesi | |
|---|---|
Garabet Balyan | |
| Type | Armenian |
Surp Yerrortutyun Armenian Church (Armenian: Սուրբ Երրորդութիւն Եկեղեցի, Turkish: Beyoğlu Üç Horan Ermeni Kilisesi) is a 19th-century Armenian church located in Istanbul, Turkey.[1]
Location
Located in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul in Turkey, Surp Yerrortutyun Church borders to Sahne sokak (formerly: Tiyatro sokak) in the west, to NNevizade sokak (formerly: Ermeni kilisesi sokak) in the north, to Solakzade sokak (formerly: Sol sokak) in the east and to buildings and Tokatlıyan Han on İstiklal Avenue in the south.[1]
History
The church building was initially constructed in wood by Europeans in early 16th century on the uphill of
From 1838 on, the church was administrated by an independent board of trustees and clergy. With an imperial order dated 16 December 1845, the church building was restored. In 1846, a coeducational school building, named Naregyan School, and some other annexes were constructed inside the courtyard of the church. The additional buildings were restored in 1867. However, they were destroyed during the 1870 Beyoğlu Fire. A three-store masonry building was constructed replacing the old one. The church's title deed was registered on 14 November 1889. The church building was restored with an imperial order of 13 February 1890. The latest restoration took place in 1989. The poorhouse in the northeastern corner of the courtyard was converted into a dispensary in 1897.[1]
In October 2018, the real estate of the church, which was confiscated earlier, was returned to the church's foundation.[2]
Architecture
The architecture and decoration of the Surp Yerrortutyun Church, which is shaped by western forms and has almost no traces of the Armenian architecture, is completely based on symmetry and harmony. Architect Balyan applied classical style of Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman architecture designing the exterior of the building in Doric order and the interior in Corinthian order.[1]
The church building is a basilical structure with one nave. It occupies 1,042 m2 (11,220 sq ft) in the middle of a big courtyard. There are two rooms in the west, which are symmetrical to the chapels situated in the east. The southwestern rppm is a chapel is dedicated to Surp Minas, while. The northwestern room is used as a morgue. A staircase in this room leads to the bell tower. The masonry church's facade is covered with stone slabs. The northern, southern and eastern facades have an alternating bicolor texture. The western facade and all the corners and windows are accentuated with marble ornaments giving a
A metallic mausoleum in the form of a church belonging to Patriarch Hagopos IV of
A four-wing iron door gives entry to the church in the west side. The narthex at the western entrance is divided symmetrically by inline-standing three fluted columns with Corinthian capital, which bear the gallery atop.[1]
The two aisles are raised by two step, and separated by the nave by iron railings. The church's inner space, surrounded by partly more than 130 cm (51 in) thick walls, is around 342 m2 (3,680 sq ft). The interior of the church is dusky despite the rectangular windows lined up symmetrically on the northern and southern sides. The inner walls are decorated with plasters of fluted Corinth column, arches on windows, keystones with crucifix motifs, cornices, cantilevers with acanthus reliefs under the vaults, alternate lined rosette decorations as well as the ornaments in Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman architectural style on the half-round ceiling of the apse.[1]
Oil painting portraits of the
Activities
With the initiative of the "Union of Ottoman Constitution" and the "Armenian Club", a ceremony titled "Liberty" was held on 31 July 1908 in honor of Muslims, who died during the
In 1926, a church choir with 84 female and male singers was established by Nerses Hüdaverdiyan.[1]