Setting the Record Straight: List of Churches in Turkey
By: Raffi Bedrosyan
23/8/2011
(A.W.)–The recently appointed ambassador to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone, responding to questions submitted by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), made incorrect claims about churches in Turkey. We would like to provide some facts for the ambassador’s attention.
As Armenian Weekly readers know from a recent article published in the paper, the approximate number of Armenian churches in Ottoman Turkey prior to 1915 stands at 2,300, while the number of active Armenian churches in Turkey today is 34—28 in Istanbul, 6 in Anatolia. The article had further qualified that these numbers only represented Armenian Apostolic Churches under the jurisdiction of the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate. When the pre-1915 number of numerous Armenian Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical churches are to be added to the 2,300 Armenian Apostolic Churches, plus the Greek churches, plus the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches belonging to the various European communities in Ottoman Turkey, the number of Christian churches easily doubles up. It would take some research to define the exact number of the Christian churches prior to 1915; however, it is relatively easier to determine the number of active Christian churches in Turkey today.
The following list gives the Armenian churches still standing in Turkey, both in Istanbul and in Anatolia:
Armenian Apostolic Churches in Turkey
In Istanbul:
Christ The King Armenian Church (Kadıköy, Istanbul)
Church of the Apparition of the Holy Cross (Kuruçeşme, Istanbul)
Holy Archangels Armenian Church (Balat, Istanbul)
Holy Cross Armenian Church (Kartal, Istanbul)
Holy Cross Armenian Church (Selamsız, Üsküdar, Istanbul)
Holy Hripsimiants Virgins Armenian Church (Büyükdere, Istanbul)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Apostolic Church (Bakırköy, Istanbul)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Beşiktaş, Istanbul)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Eyüp, Istanbul)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Ortaköy, Istanbul)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Yeniköy, Istanbul)
Holy Nativity of the Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Bakırköy, Istanbul)
Holy Resurrection Armenian Church (Kumkapı, Istanbul)
Holy Resurrection Armenian Chapel (Taksim, Istanbul)
Holy Three Youths Armenian Church (Boyacıköy, Istanbul)
Holy Trinity Armenian Church (Galatasaray, Istanbul)
Narlikapi Armenian Apostolic Church (Narlıkapı, Istanbul)
St. Elijah The Prophet Armenian Church (Eyüp, Istanbul)
St. John the Baptist Armenian Church (Üsküdar)
St. John The Evangelist Armenian Church (Gedikpaşa, Istanbul)
St. John The Evangelist Armenian Church (Narlıkapı, Istanbul)
St. John The Forerunner Armenian Church (Bağlarbaşı, Uskudar, Istanbul)
St. George (Sourp Kevork) Armenian Church (Samatya, Istanbul)
St. Gregory The Enlightener (Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch) (Ghalatya, Istanbul)
St. Gregory The Enlightener (Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch) Armenian Church (Kuzguncuk, Istanbul)
St. Gregory The Enlightener (Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch) Armenian Church (Karaköy, Istanbul)
St. Gregory The Enlightener (Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch) (Kınalıada, Istanbul)
St. James Armenian Church (Altımermer, Istanbul)
St. Nicholas Armenian Church (Beykoz, Istanbul)
St. Nicholas Armenian Church (Topkapı, Istanbul)
St. Santoukht Armenian Church (Hisar, Istanbul)
St. Saviour (Sourp Pergitch) Armenian Chapel (Yedikule, Istanbul)
St. Sergius Armenian Chapel (Balikli, Istanbul)
St. Stephen Armenian Church (Karaköy, Istanbul)
St. Stephen Armenian Church (Yeşilköy, Istanbul)
St. Takavor Armenian Apostolic Church (Kadıköy, Istanbul)
Saints Thaddeus and Barholomew Armenian Church (Yenikapı, Istanbul)
St. Trinity (Sourp Yerrortutyoun) Church (Pera, Istanbul)
St. Vartanants Armenian Church (Feriköy, Istanbul)
The Twelve Holy Apostles Armenian Church (Kandilli, Istanbul)
Of the Armenian Apostolic Churches still standing in Istanbul, only 28 are active at present; the rest are closed due to lack of clergy and/or lack of congregation.
In Anatolia
Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastea Armenian Church (Iskenderun, Hatay)
Holy Mother-of-God Armenian Church (Vakıflıköy, Samandağ, Hatay)
St. George (Sourp Kevork) Armenian Church (Derik, Mardin)
St. Gregory The Enlightener Armenian Church (Kayseri)
St. Gregory The Enlightener Armenian Church (Kırıkhan)
St. Giragos Armenian Church (Diyarbakır) (Under Reconstruction)
Armenian Catholic Churches in Turkey
St. Mary Armenian Catholic Church (Beyoğlu, Istanbul)
St. Jean Chrisostomus Armenian Catholic Church (Taksim, Istanbul)
St. Leon Armenian Catholic Church (Kadıkoy, Istanbul)
Assumption Armenian Catholic Church (Büyükada, Istanbul)
Armenian Catholic Church of Immaculate Conception (Koca Mustafa Paşa, Istanbul)
St. Saviour Armenian Catholic Church (Karaköy, Istanbul)
St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Church (Ortaköy, Istanbul)
St. Paul Armenian Catholic Church (Büyükdere, Istanbul)
St. John the Baptist Armenian Catholic Church (Yeniköy, Istanbul)
Of the Armenian Catholic Churches in Istanbul, only the first four are active.
Armenian Evangelical/Protestant Churches in Turkey
Armenian Evangelical Church (Pera, Istanbul)
Armenian Evangelical Church (Gedik Paşa, Istanbul)
Until recently, the Armenian Church Foundations and the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate had great difficulty in preserving or protecting the church buildings and schools under their jurisdiction; there would be no permission from the government to carry out minor repairs or even paint the deteriorating church and school buildings. But there has been an improvement with the present government, which has restored the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island on Van Lake, albeit as a state museum, and has given permission to the repair and reconstruction of a few historic churches, most notably the Surp Giragos Church in Diyarbakir.
To provide a complete picture of churches in Turkey today, we present below a lists of non-Armenian churches.
Greek Orthodox Churches
Fener Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate, Fener
Panagia Mugliotissa, H.Georgios Poteras, Fener
Aya Irini, Topkapı
Aya Yorgi, Büyükada
Hagios Poliektus, Topkapı
Havariyyun, Fatih
Kanli, Fatih
Nikolaos, Ayakapı
Kyriaaki, Kumkapı
Panagia Elpida, Kumkapı
Theodoros, Yenikapı
Panagiea, Altımermer
Menas,
Georgios,
Khristos Analepsisi,
Nikolaos,
Konstantinos,
Helene, Samatya
Panagia, Belgradkapı
Nikolaos, Topkapı
Demetrios, Sarmaşık
Georgios, Edirnekapı
Panagia, Salmatomruk
Panagia Hançeriotissa, Tekfursarayı
Panagia Suda, Eğrikapı
Panagia Blakherna, Demetios Kananou, Ayvansaray
Panagia Balinu, Taksiartes, Balat
Hpasaskave, Hasköy
Konstantinos ve Helene, Beyoğlu
Panagia, Galatasaray
Trias, Taksim
Panagia Evangelistria, Dolapdere
Demetrios, Athanisios, Kurtuluş
Dodeka Apostoloi, Feriköy
Hristos Metamorphosisi, Şişli
Panagia, Beşiktaş
Phokos, Ortaköy
Demetrios, İoannes Prodromos, Kuruçeşme
Taksiarkhes, Propethes Elias, Arnavutköy
Khralamsok, Bebek
Panagia Evangelistira, Boyacıköy
Taksiarkhes, İstinye
Nikolaos, Panagia, Yeniköy
Panagia Pege, Silivrikapı
Nikolaos, Georgios, Khristos, Büyükada
Trias, Hsypridon, Khristos, Heybeliada
Georgios, Khristos, Burgazada
Khrasitos, Kınalıada
Heuphemia, Trias (Aya Triada), Kadıköy
Hioannes Khrysostomos, Kalamış
Georgios, Yeldeğirmeni
Prophetes Elias, Üsküdar
Pantelemion, Georgios, Kuzguncuk
Georgios, Çengelköy
Hristos Metamorphosis, Kandilli
Konstantinos ve Helene, Paşabahçe
Paraskeve, Beykoz
Paraskeve, Konstantinos, Tarabya
Paraskeve, Büyükdere
İoannes Prodromos, Yenimahalle
Georgios, Khristos Analepsis, Bakırköy
Stephanos, Yeşilköy
Demetrios, Panagia, Prophetes Elias, Büyükada
Nikolaos, Prophetes Elias, Heybeliada
İoannes Prodromos, Burgazada
Panagia, Kınalıada
Georgios Metokhi, Fener
Georgios Metokhi, Yeniköy
Georgios Metokhi, Heybeliada
İoannes Prodromos Methokhi, Balat
Panagia Kaphatiane, Hnikolaos, İoannes Prodromos, Galata
Balıklı Hagia Kharalampos, Silivrikapı
Haigoi Anargiroi, Silivrikapı
Hristos Genesis, Arnavutköy
Although these Greek churches are still standing, very few are active as there are virtually no Greeks left in Turkey. The last census numbers indicate a population of less than 2,000, which means there are about 20 Greeks left for each Greek church in Turkey.
European Catholic Churches
Saint Benoit (French), Galata
Saint Esprit (French), Beyoglu
Saint Antoine(French), Beyoglu
Santa Maria (İtalian), Tünel
Sankt Georg (Austria), Karaköy
Saint Pierre et Saint Paul (French), Galata
Notre Dame de l’Assumption (French), Moda
St Augustine (French), Fenerbahçe
Czestochova Meryem Ana (Polish), Polonezköy
Anglican Churches
English Consulate Anglican Chapel, Galatasaray
Kirim Anglican Church, Beyoğlu
Pera Resurrection Church- Aynalıçeşme Beyoğlu
All Saints Anglican-Presbyterien, Moda
Protestant Churches
German Protestant Church, Tarlabaşı, Beyoğlu
Netherlands Consulate Dutch Chapel, Beyoğlu
Swedish Lutheran, Tünel
Istanbul Nehir Pentecostal, Harbiye
İstanbul Altıntepe Protestant, Altıntepe
Other Orthodox Churches
Russian Orthodox, Galata
Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Orthodox, Balat
In recent years, a few Christian churches have been created in resort areas such as Antalya and Bodrum, frequented by European retirees, but these are not recorded.
When responding to Sen. Menendez’s questions, perhaps the ambassador only relied on information provided by Turkish government sources, which could sometimes be unreliable on issues related to “past history” or to present concerns such as Christian missionary activities. One remarkable example of this is a January 2007 dated Turkish Security General Directorate circular, which indicated that while there were 77,777 mosques in Turkey at the end of 2006, the number of non-Muslim religious institutions had climbed to 373.
The circular expressed concern that this number had increased greatly from 273 in 2005, mostly due to illegal missionary activities of Protestant Christians. Of the 373 recorded religious institutions, 321 were Christian churches, including 90 Greek Orthodox (75 in Istanbul), 55 Armenian (48 in Istanbul), 60 Assyrian, 3 Chaldean, 4 Bulgarian, 1 Arabic Orthodox, 53 Christian churches for foreigners, and 52 illegal Protestant Missionary churches. In addition, 36 Jewish Synagogues and 9 Jehovahs Witness temples were recorded. Interestingly, there were more than 900 “gathering centres” (cemevi) recorded for Alewites as cultural centers, since they are not recognized as belonging to an official religion.
