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Santa Maria Draperis Church (Meryem Ana Draperis Latin Katolik Kilisesi) is one of the most historic churches in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located on Istiklal Street in the Beyoğlu district.
Entrance
The entrance to the complex can be easy to miss. It has a niche decorated with a statue of the Virgin, with a flight of steps leading down to the church, but most recently it has been covered by an unsightly protective screen.
History
The church dates back to a few months before the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. It was founded by Venetian merchants as the Church of St. Anthony of the Cypresses (Sant’Antonio dei Cipressi) in what is now the Sirkeci area in the old city. Franciscan friars had just finished building the church, but they were forced to abandon it. In 1584, Clara Maria Draperis endowed them a house with a chapel in Galata. It contained a wooden icon of the Virgin Mary.
The chapel burned down in 1660, and the friars built another church. Unfortunately, it lacked the permission of the sultan, and it was demolished in 1663. They received permission to build a new church on what is now Istiklal Street, completing it in 1678. That church burned down in 1697, was rebuilt, destroyed by an earthquake in 1727, rebuilt again, and burned down again in 1767. Each time the church was destroyed, the wooden icon was rescued and adorned the altar of the next church. It still sits atop the altar of the current church (see below), which was built in 1769.
Interior
The interior of Santa Maria Draperis was decorated in 1874. The altar is made of pink Carrara marble and dates back to 1772. The wooden icon rescued from the previous churches adorns the altar. Two stained glass windows in the apse depict St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.
There are several inscriptions dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, mostly dedicated to wealthy Italian families and church benefactors.
Mass
Mass is celebrated every Sunday at various times throughout the day and in several different languages including English, Spanish, Korean, and Italian. Stop into the church for the most up-to-date schedule.
