Oniki Apostol Greek Orthodox Church

audio narration:

construction year:

1868

location:

Şişli, İstanbul

ordered by:

Unknown

architect:

Vasilaki Ioanidis Efendi

Changes After Construction:
  • The building was renovated in 1948–1949; during this renovation, the narthex and the naos were combined and the interior space was enlarged.
  • The church underwent a partial renovation in the 1967–1968 period.
  • The building was renovated for the third time between 2014 and 2016.
Prominent Features:
  • The church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul.
  • Among the Greek community, the building is known as “Twelve Apostles / Dodeka Apostoli.”
  • The masonry building is covered with a tiled roof and a central dome.
  • The dome rises over four arches resting on four columns; there are four windows in the drum, and a depiction of Pantokrator at the center of the dome.
  • Above the door leading from the narthex to the naos, there is a 1914 oil painting on the theme of the “Twelve Saints”; saint depictions are also found on the interior walls.
  • The thronos (bishop’s throne), the ambo, and the iconostasis are wooden; the floor is paved with marble.
  • The women’s gallery is reached from the narthex by a wooden staircase; in the courtyard there is a bell tower made of iron rods.
  • Among the construction expenses, a contribution of 10,000 groschen by Vasilakis Ioannidis and other charitable donations were recorded.