Perhaps you’ve walked past not knowing the treasures it holds. Here before us stands the S\u00fcryani Kilisesi. It is Istanbul’s only church constructed by the Syriac community.
The S\u00fcryani Kilisesi also known as Meryem Ana S\u00fcryani Kilisesi is located in Beyo\u011flu’s Tarlaba\u015f\u0131 neighborhood. The Syriac community purchased the land in the 19th century. Armenian sources suggest a church existed here between 1650 and 1780.
It was rebuilt and opened for religious services on September 6 1863. It served as a shared place of worship for both Armenians and Syriacs. A fire in 1870 caused severe damage. The church underwent extensive restoration in 1878.
The old church building was demolished in 1961. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1961 with a special ceremony. The S\u00fcryani Kilisesi stands as an elegant example of Mardin-style stonework from southeastern Turkey. This craftsmanship is evident in the ornate column capitals used throughout the church. Besides the church building an additional building houses the church school and administrative section.
The meeting of Syriacs with Istanbul dates back centuries. Helena mother of Eastern Roman Emperor Konstantinos and Theodora wife of Eastern Roman Emperor Iustinianos left their mark in Istanbul history.
Although Syriac presence in Istanbul dates back further their institutionalization began in the 19th century. Syriac clerics participated in councils in Istanbul in 381 and Kad\u0131k\u00f6y in 451. However they did not establish an organization in this city.
The current existence of Istanbul Syriacs dates back to the 1830s. They began migrating to western Anatolia due to drought and poverty. Many decided to settle in Istanbul a center of trade and industry. This decision was encouraged by Syriac Orthodox Church Patriarch II. Ilyas Hindi in 1841.
Metropolitan Yakub purchased a house in Karnavula Street in Beyo\u011flu Tarlaba\u015f\u0131. Later he transformed the house into a church named Meryem Ana with a decree from Sultan Abd\u00fclmecid. Some sources say the building was an old Armenian church allocated to the Syriacs by the Armenian Patriarch.
The wooden Meryem Ana Kilisesi burned down in a fire in Beyo\u011flu in 1870. It was rebuilt in brick in 1880. As the Syriac Orthodox population in Istanbul grew in the 1950s the existing church became insufficient. The adjacent building was purchased to expand the church.
Between 1961 and 1963 it was transformed into its current state. The church underwent an interior restoration between 2004 and 2006. It also serves as the Patriarchal Vicariate and Metropolitan Center.
Today the S\u00fcryani Kilisesi stands not only as a place of worship. It is also a testament to the enduring spirit and rich heritage of the Syriac community in Istanbul.