Top 5 Istanbul churches | Address + Entrance fee
What is the famous church in Istanbul?
large part of Turkey’s historical attractions is the churches of Istanbul. In this article on Travelling Topic website, I will introduce the most important churches in Istanbul.
Spectacular Istanbul churches
Table of Contents
Istanbul is one of the best cities in Turkey and is considered the capital of culture and art in Turkey. Also, this city has famous churches with beautiful architecture. Christianity in Istanbul dates back to the 4th century. Hagia Sophia and Hagia Irene are the first Christian churches in Istanbul.
1-Saint Antoine Church
This church was built by a person named Giulio Mongeri. In 1912, it was one of the best and most prominent churches in Istanbul. Today, this Italian-style church is located on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street, one of the busiest and most tourist streets in Istanbul.
Entrance fee: free
Visiting time: 8 am to 7 pm
Address: 171 Istiklal St., Beyoglu
2-St George’s Church
One of the most important tourist attractions in Istanbul is St. George Church. This church is one of the holiest places for Orthodox Christians according to its interior and exterior. St. George’s Church was built in 1453 and became the world’s spiritual center of Eastern Orthodox Christians. St. George’s Church has many valuable objects, the most important of which is the 5th-century throne.
Entrance fee: free
Visiting hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Address: Sultan Selim, Fatih, Istanbul
3-Church of St. Stephen Bulgarian
This church was leased to the Bulgarians in the 19th century so that they could have their own church. At first, St. Stephen Bulgarian Church was a wooden structure near the Golden Horn, which later expanded and became a larger iron church.
To build essential parts of the church, they held an international competition, and an Austrian company won this competition. Therefore, some parts of the church were built in Austria and transported to Istanbul by ship.
Visiting hours: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m
Address: 7 Obeid Hurriyet St., Fatih, Sisli, Istanbul
4-Church of Santa Maria Draperis
Santa Maria Drapris is a Roman Catholic church built during the Roman Empire by the Drapris family in 1453 and completed just a few months before the Ottomans conquered the city.
Sultan Abdulhamid issued permission to create this church; For this reason, when you enter Santa Maria Church, you will see a plaque on the door with the name of Sultan Abdulhamid. After entering the church, stairs lead visitors to the two-story altar of the church, where you can see a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary.
Entrance fee: free
Visiting hours: Saturday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m
Address: Tomtom, İstiklal Cd. No:215, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
5-Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a large and beautiful Catholic cathedral that receives many visitors worldwide. Also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, this church is one of the city’s foremost Catholic churches.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was built in 1846 by Guiseppe Fossati, a famous architect of that time. The cathedral is located behind the famous Notre Dame de Sion High School, and visitors can go inside or look at the architecture from the outside.
The Saint Spirit Cathedral is the second largest church in Istanbul which is located halfway along Istiklal Street in Taksim.
The church was built in a typical baroque style and has been visited by many popes. There is a giant statue of Pope Benedict XV in the courtyard. A little further down the street, you can find the Vatican’s official representative office in Istanbul, which dates back to 1960.
Istanbul has suffered several earthquakes and fires over the years, and the poor condition of the initial construction of the church has caused it to be damaged several times.
In 1865, an earthquake mainly affected the building, and shortly after, efforts were made to rebuild it. Several other renovations have been done over the years.
The Saint Spirit Cathedral was built in the Baroque style, and the Cathedral has three naves that match the type of that time. When you enter the Cathedral, look at its ceiling, painted with beautiful paintings.
I also mentioned the statue of Pope Benedict XV in the courtyard, and you should visit it and read the sign next to it. Turkey built this statue to commemorate the Pope’s support for the soldiers.
Entrance fee: free
Address: Ergenekon, Cumhuriyet Cd. 127/A D:127/A, 34373 Şişli/İstanbul, Türkiye
Visiting hours: 8:30 AM–12 PM, 3:30–7 PM
At the end of the line
Istanbul is famous as one of the world’s tourist and scenic cities due to its unique beauty and many recreational places, and countless Istanbul tour tourists from all over the world come to Turkey every year to see this city.
In this article, I talked about the Istanbul churches, and suggest you to this city and visit the Istanbul churches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still an active church between Istanbul churches?
There are 156 churches in Istanbul, many of which are still active.
Which is the oldest church in Istanbul?
Founded in 1427, St. Benoit Church is Istanbul’s oldest Catholic church still in use.
What is the main church in Istanbul?
St. George’s Church is the main church of the Orthodox faith.
What is the biggest church in Istanbul?
Saint Antoine Catholic Church is the largest church in Istanbul.
