Istanbul century-old church set to reopen in 2024

ISTANBUL

The meticulous restoration initiative of the 130-year-old Panayia Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church, nestled in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district, continues its transformative journey, promising a resurgence in its original splendor for worship by next year.

Positioned amid the vibrant tapestry of Beyoğlu's bustling thoroughfares, weaving through nearby car repair shops, buffets and tire stores, this century-old structure with its historical charm holds the status of a secondary urban conservation area, featuring two bell towers and a clock tower.

Constructed in 1893 by the Greek Community of Beyoğlu, the place of worship has suffered damage over the years, primarily to its roof, due to the passage of time, neglect and natural factors.

In 2005, the church's custom-made twin bells were stolen by those who were believed to have entered secretly by placing a ladder inside. Despite extensive searches, the bells were never recovered, garnering significant media coverage at the time.

Local media reported that with contributions from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the support of a donor, the restoration process of the church commenced. The interior staircase, wooden seats, and structures were repaired for reuse. Artisanally crafted Christian motifs and symbols on the ceiling and interior walls were meticulously painted and restored.

Assuming the restoration progresses without setbacks, a special ceremony is anticipated to take place in the spring of 2024 for the church's reopening.

The restored church is expected to accommodate approximately 600 worshipers, and the bell, replaced by donors a few years after the 2005 theft, will be reinstalled on the church tower following restoration.

Providing information regarding the restoration process and the historical structure, Prodromos Kozmaoğlu, the vice president of the Beyoğlu Yenişehir Panagia Evangelistria Church Foundation, emphasized that the church's present state dates back to its construction in 1893.

"The previous structure had burned down in the 1850s, and with donations from the local Greek community, this building was reconstructed. Architecturally, domed church construction was prohibited before the Second Tanzimat Era [Ottoman reform era]. Our church was built during the era when domed architectural structures were permitted."

The most recent restoration project began thanks to a donor associated with the patriarchate, Kozmaoğlu noted.

"The work has been ongoing for approximately one and half years; we are talking about the renovation of a historic building. Due to negligence in the past, there were issues with the roof, concrete partitions and plaster partitions and the drawings were damaged, so the restoration of the drawings is being carried out."

"We have three active members working in our foundation. The church can accommodate up to 600 people, but our congregation is very small. We have around 30 people in our region, either present or absent. Every Sunday, we have a service with visitors and foreigners. Our doors are open every day of the week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., open to all visitors."

Regarding the theft of the bell in 2005, Kozmaoğlu remarked, "We were not in leadership at that time. A team set up scaffolding outside the church without anyone noticing and took the bell.”

“The bell has not been found for more than 20 years. Subsequently, with donations from Dolapdere residents living abroad, a new bell was made and installed," he said.

"That bell is still there; we haven't changed it. The restoration team will be reinstalling it after 20 years. Upon entering the main door of our church, the chandeliers donated by our benefactors can be seen. The drawings and decorations on the wall are also very nice; these are very attention-grabbing things,” he added.

A large number of Istanbul’s landmark structures have been recently undergoing a restoration process. Teams have also initiated works for Galata Tower, one of the landmark buildings of Istanbul. As part of the works in the 674-year-old tower, in which the migration period of birds has also been taken into consideration, no scaffolding was installed on the exterior of the tower in order not to affect both tradesmen around and visitors.