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.
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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.
