The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, alternatively known as the ''St. Esprit Cathedral'' (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

: ''Saint Esprit Kilisesi''), located on Cumhuriyet Avenue, 127/A, in the quarter of Pangaltı in Şişli district, the former Harbiye, between Taksim Square and

Nişantaşı Nişantaşı is an upmarket, largely secular residential neighbourhood in the Şişli district on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. Separated from Osmanbey and Pangaltı to the west by busy Halaskargazi Caddesi, it is a popular shopping di ...

, is one of the principal Catholic churches in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the city after the Basilica of S. Antonio di Padova on İstiklal Avenue in

Beyoğlu Beyoğlu (, ota, بك‌اوغلی, script=Arab) is a district on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. It was known as the region of Pera (Πέρα, meani ...

. The church was built in

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style in 1846 under the direction of the Swiss-Italian architect

Giuseppe Fossati The Fossati brothers, Gaspare (7 October 1809 – 5 September 1883) and Giuseppe (1822–1891), were Swiss architects. They completed more than 50 projects in Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire) during the Tanzimat era. They belonged to the Morco ...

and his colleague Julien Hillereau. St. Esprit has been a destination of several papal visits to Turkey, including those of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. A statue of Pope Benedict XV stands in the courtyard of the cathedral.

Giuseppe Donizetti Giuseppe Donizetti (6 November 1788 – 12 February 1856), also known as Donizetti Pasha, was an Italian musician. From 1828 he was Instructor General of the Imperial Ottoman Music at the court of Sultan Mahmud II (1808–39). His younger broth ...

, a musician at the court of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, is buried in the vaults of the church.

References

''Haaretz'' article on the visit of Pope Benedict XVI
(Archived)

External links

* Roman Catholic churches in Istanbul Roman Catholic cathedrals in Turkey Roman Catholic churches completed in 1846 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Turkey Baroque architecture in the Ottoman Empire Şişli Cathedrals in Istanbul {{Europe-RC-cathedral-stub

See also

References

External links