| Saint Voukolos Church | |
|---|---|
Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Βουκόλου Σμύρνης Aziz Vukolos Kilisesi | |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Greek Orthodox Church |
| Patron | Voukolos |
| Location | |
| Location | Konak,İzmir,Turkey |
 Interactive map of Saint Voukolos Church | |
| Coordinates | 38°25′17.3″N27°08′51.6″E / 38.421472°N 27.147667°E /38.421472; 27.147667 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Materials | |
Saint Voukolos Church (Turkish:Aziz Vukolos Kilisesi,Greek:Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Βουκόλου Σμύρνης) is aGreek Orthodox church inİzmir,Turkey. Its patron saint isVoukolos, the first Bishop of Smyrna.
Saint Voukolos Church, which started to be built in 1886 by theArmenians of theGreek Orthodox faith, was opened to worship in 1887.[1][2][3] It was the only structure of Armenians that was not damaged by thegreat fire of Smyrna in 1922.[3] As a result of thepopulation exchange between Greece and Turkey, the church community leftİzmir in the following year.[4]
In February 1924, at the request ofMustafa Kemal Atatürk, the church building started to host theİzmir Archaeological Museum.[1] During this period, thefrescoes in the church were covered.[3] In 1951, with the relocation of the museum toKültürpark, 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 theAssumption of Mary.[10] The church also hosted various rites in 2015, 2016, and 2018.[11][12][13]
Built usingstone andbrick, the church has onenave, oneapse, and onetransept.[1]
Media related toSaint Voukolos Church at Wikimedia Commons
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