Changes After Construction
It was commissioned in 1676 by Priest Balatlı Apraham as a wooden structure under the name Surp Haç Chapel, and was converted into a church in 1685.
Recorded in historical sources as the first church of the district, the structure was rebuilt in 1727 by order of Patriarch Hovhannes IX Golod.
It underwent several repairs at different dates during the 18th century.
The church, in its present form, was built in masonry during the time of Patriarch Garabed III, with Hovhannes Amira Serveryan as its architect.
The meeting room and adjoining buildings within the complex were commissioned in 1950 by the philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian.
Restoration work was carried out in 1998.
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Belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, the church is also known as the “Selâmsız Armenian Church.”
The grave of Balatlı Apraham, the founder of the church, is located in the garden on the northern side of the structure.
The church has a wooden roof structure with a cylindrical form and a basilical character.
Two fountains dated 1727 and two cisterns dated 1831 were built within the complex.
In 1832, a tall stone bell tower was constructed at the entrance of the church.
