Saint Voukolos Church
Church building in İzmir, Turkey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint Voukolos Church (Turkish: Aziz Vukolos Kilisesi, Greek: Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Βουκόλου Σμύρνης) is a Greek Orthodox church in İzmir, Turkey. Its patron saint is Voukolos, the first Bishop of Smyrna.
| Saint Voukolos Church | |
|---|---|
Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Βουκόλου Σμύρνης Aziz Vukolos Kilisesi | |
| |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Greek Orthodox Church |
| Patron | Voukolos |
| Location | |
| Location | Konak, İzmir, Turkey |
 Interactive map of Saint Voukolos Church | |
| Coordinates | 38°25′17.3″N 27°08′51.6″E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Materials | |
History
Saint Voukolos Church, which started to be built in 1886 by the Armenians of the Greek Orthodox faith, was opened to worship in 1887.[1][2][3] It was the only structure of Armenians that was not damaged by the great fire of Smyrna in 1922.[3] As a result of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the church community left İzmir in the following year.[4]
In February 1924, at the request of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the church building started to host the İzmir Archaeological Museum.[1] During this period, the frescoes in the church were covered.[3] In 1951, with the relocation of the museum to Kültürpark, the church building started to function as an opera study hall and a warehouse.[5][6] In 1975, it was registered as a "cultural asset to be protected".[5] It was severely damaged in a fire in 1990.[2][5] In 2003, it was given to the use of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.[5] In December 2008, restoration work started at the church.[5] After the restoration work was completed in 2010, the church building began to be used for cultural events; two of the four additions of the church were opened as the İzmir Journalists' Association Press Museum, and Hanife Çetiner and Esin Yılmaz Memorial House.[5][7][8][9] On 17 August 2014, for the first time since 1922, a ritual was held at the church for the Assumption of Mary.[10] The church also hosted various rites in 2015, 2016, and 2018.[11][12][13]
