Published on: 18 January 2023
Elizabeth Kostov
The Mor Efrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church will soon be opening its doors to serve the roughly 17,000 Syriac Orthodox believers living in Istanbul.
Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash
Since the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, no new church buildings have been permitted to be built by Turkish authorities, only renovated. Plans for the new church were approved back in 2015 and building began in 2019. The cost of the church is estimated at 4 million USD and was collected by the Syriac community.
Years ago the Syriac Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, found itself in a legal battle with authorities over the ownership of 50 properties, including cemeteries, churches and monasteries, in southeastern Turkey. Municipal reforms led the government to liquidate many of these assets, transferring ownership to state institutions.
Syriac Christians, also known as Assyrians, have been living in southern Turkey since the first centuries of Christianity. As a minority group in Turkey, it is only their churches and monasteries that give them a sense of belonging.
It is believed that President Erdogan’s administration approved the building of the new church as a way to improve living conditions and bring a sense of relief to the Syriac Christians living in their midst.
