Surp Hovhan Vosgeperan Armenian Catholic Church

audio narration:

construction year:

1860-1863

location:

Beyoğlu, İstanbul

ordered by:

Unknown

architect:

Garabet Tülbentçiyan and Andon Tülbentçiyan

Changes After Construction:
  • The wooden church built in 1837 deteriorated over time and burned down.
  • In 1838, the adjacent plots were acquired and a larger church was built.
  • In 1860, the foundation of the new masonry building was laid; after the death of Garabet Tülbentçiyan in 1861, Andon Tülbentçiyan completed the construction, and the building was finished in 1863.
  • A school building was established next to the masonry church.
Prominent Features:
  • The church belongs to the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Turkey.
  • With a capacity of 600 people, the building is the largest church of the Armenian Catholics in Turkey.
  • The building is located near Taksim Square, behind the French Consulate.
  • The building was constructed of finely cut stone; there is a small courtyard on its west side.
  • The building is basilical on the exterior and rotunda-planned on the interior; in its centrally domed plan scheme, the dome is carried by four piers, and the dome is arranged within an octagonal order.
  • On the west side of the church there is a three-part narthex, while on the east side there are the apse and choir sections.
  • The interior is marked by Neo-Classical influence; semicircular arched openings, engaged piers, columns, and composite capitals define the internal arrangement.
  • The bell tower is located at the southeast of the building.
  • The church was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1979.