Crimea Memorial Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crimean Memorial Church, Istanbul
Location	Serdar-ı Ekrem Sokak, Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Country	Turkey
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	[1]
History
Consecrated	1868
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	George Edmund Street
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Administration
Archdeaconry	Eastern Archdeaconry
Diocese	Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe

The Crimea Memorial Church, also known as Christ Church, is a special Church of England church. You can find it in the Beyoglu - Taksim area of Istanbul, Turkey. It's a beautiful building with a lot of history!

A Look Back: The Church's Story

This church was built on land given by Sultan Abdulmecid. It took ten years to build, from 1858 to 1868. It was made to remember the brave British soldiers who lost their lives in the Crimean War.

People first thought about building this church in 1856. They even held a competition for the design! An architect named William Burges won the competition. But, there were disagreements among the people in charge. Some thought Burges's design didn't look "English" enough. So, in 1863, George Edmund Street took over as the architect. The church was then built in a style called Victorian Gothic, between 1864 and 1868.

The church closed in 1978 because not many people were attending. Later, a group of refugees from Sri Lanka helped to fix up the building. They had come to Istanbul during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The church was able to open its doors again in September 1991.

Inside, you'll find an organ made in England in 1911 by W. Hill & Son. This company also built organs for famous places like York Minster and Ely Cathedral. The fancy iron staircase also came from London. The organ area holds old flags from the Crimean and Gallipoli wars. It also has the flag from the battleship that took Mehmed VI, the last sultan, into exile. The front of the organ is decorated with colorful modern art by Erica Beard, showing Bible stories.

A wooden screen called a rood screen was put up in 1923. It remembers those who died in the Gallipoli campaign. Between 1995 and 2005, a Scottish artist named Mungo McCosh decorated it. He painted images of saints with the Istanbul skyline in the background. People who attended the church even posed as models for the saints' faces! In a fun Turkish twist, the baby Christ in one painting is holding a simit, which is a popular Turkish bread ring.

The front part of the church, called the chancel, has a special memorial. It remembers Roger Short, who was a British Consul-General. He was sadly killed in a bomb attack in 2003.

Helping Others: The Church's Work

Every Sunday at 11 a.m., church services are held here. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Since the church reopened, its basement area, called the crypt, has become very important. It's used for the church's charity work. They help refugees and migrants who come to Istanbul and need support. In recent years, the church has provided shelter for over 2000 homeless people. They continue to help displaced people, especially Christians who have left Pakistan.

Images for kids

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  Inside the Church, 2023