FROM TATAVLA TO KURTULUS |
Churches of Tatavla
AYIOS DIMITRIOS CHURCH
It is located in the present day Kurtuluş Square at the end stop. The story goes that after the conquest of Istanbul, when a little church called Ayios Dimitrios in Kasımpaşa was converted into a mosque, the Ayios Dimitrios icon it contained was moved to Ayios Athanasios church on the hill and the church was known henceforth by that name. Not only did the icon give its name to the church, but the village slowly springing up around it was also referred to from time to time as Ayios Dimitrios or Aya Dimitri. At a later date, another church was constructed close by called Ayios Athanisios.
Although it is not known when the church was first constructed, according to the notes of travellers and the city plans it can be dated to the mid sixteenth century. The present day building has been shaped as a result of constructions, extensions and repairs conducted in 1726, 1782 and 1798.
The following information is provided in Greek letters in the oldest historical inscription on the narthex wall on the west face of the church: "This holy church is dedicated to the great religious martyr Saint Dimitrios, and has been constructed from the foundations of the section dedicated to Great Peter Saint Athanasios of Alexandria. The 27th day of the month of December of the year 1726."
The Ayios Dimitrios Church has a basilica plan and a tiled roof. It is a 5-nave structure, which is a rarity among the Rum churches of Istanbul. To the right and left of the main section are narrower sections divided off with columns. The church set in a well-tended garden surrounded by high walls has preserved its importance to this day, and every year on 26th October the feast of Ayios Dimitrios is celebrated with religious ceremonies.
The bell tower of the church stands proud of the building in the north east of the garden. As it has been demolished and reconstructed a number of times the original form is not known. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a wooden tower made from two stout trunks of walnut. The present tower is quite new and made of stone. The bell was molded in Tsarist Russia and sent to Istanbul.
Ayios Athanasios Church
The church is located in Omuzdaş Street, formerly named Ayatanaş Street, 200 paces to the west of Ayios Dimitrios church. The foundations of the church were laid by Argiropoleos Serafim, religious leader of Tatavla, on 21st November 1855.
The design and construction of the building were undertaken by architect Hacı Kosti Maltezaki, with Panayotis Kalfa and Mise Dimitrios Frangias. In the currency of the day, the construction of the church cost 1,350,000 kurush. The church opened for worship in March1858, and underwent fundamental repairs in the wake of the 1896 Istanbul earthquake.
Ayios Athanasios church is located on the sloping ground of Tatavla hill where it starts to run down towards Cinderesi in the direction of Okmeydanı. The site was terraced to enable construction of the church, which was enclosed by walls. It is a cross-shaped, domed structure. It was the first domed church to be built in Istanbul when the ban on the construction of domed churches after the conquest was lifted with the Administrative Reform Edict (Tanzimat and Islah). There is a bell in only one of the four bell towers.
In the years of its construction, the church interior was richly decorative, and was noteworthy for its temblo, amnonu and throne as well as its chandeliers and oil lamps. The wall frescos on religious themes were last restored in 1903. The church suffered major damage in the events of 6-7th September 1955, and nowadays, in spite of its well-maintained external appearance, the interior gives a somewhat impoverished and neglected impression.
Every year on the 18th January, the feast of Saint Athanasios after whom the church is named is celebrated here. This is the only church in Istanbul dedicated to Ayios Athanasios.
Evangelistrias Church
This church dedicated to the joyous news of the conception of Jesus by Saint Mary is located in Dolapdere in Hacı İlbey street, formerly Kilise Street, on the slopes of Tatavla facing Taksim. It was constructed on the site of an existing small, wooden church.
Set in a stone courtyard with an iron railing perimeter and accessed by a few marble steps, the building has a small Byzantine style dome. The facade of the building is flanked by 2 bell towers rising to a height of 25 meters. Between the bell towers on the facade of the main building is a clock in the style of the period. The church was finally completed after a sixteen-year period from 1877-1893 with the assistance of Anatolian Greeks living in this district of Tatavla. Its architect was Petraki Meymaridu Efendi.
The marble inscription in Greek letters on the wall in the narthex of the church reads as follows:
"This holy church dedicated to the joyous news of Jesus by Mary was completed in 1893 by architect Petraki D. Meymaridu with the contribution of all local and non local Orthodox Christians and benevolent associations, and was restored in 1894 under the Patriarchate of Neofitos 8."
The reason why the church that was completed in 1893 was restored in 1894 and opened for worship on 27th November 1894 may be linked to the great earthquake occurring in June 1894. The feast day of the church is 25th March. It is one of the most beautiful and richly decorated churches of Tatavla with its marble temblo and thoronos, as well as its valuable icons and large chandeliers, one of which is in the form of a ship composed of pieces of crystal.