Saint Polycarp Church

Saint Polycarp Church

Located in the Konak district of İzmir, Saint Polycarp Church is a Catholic church dedicated to the patron saint of the same name.

Saint Polycarp Church

The church was constructed in 1625, with the permission of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I, at the request of the French King Louis XIII. However, it was damaged in the 1688 Smyrna earthquake and underwent repairs from 1690 to 1691. In 1763, the accompanying monastery was destroyed by fire, but was soon rebuilt.

In 1775, the church was renovated, with contributions from French King Louis XVI, and transformed into a three-nave basilica. A marble plaque honoring Louis XIII was hung in the church in 1820. During restorations from 1892 to 1989, architect Raymond Charles Péré added chapels to the church, which were decorated with frescoes depicting the life of Polycarp. The church was destroyed by fire in Smyrna but was rebuilt in 1929.

Saint Polycarp Church is a rectangular basilica with three naves, oriented in an east-west direction. It has an octagonal bell tower on the southwest side. The church is named after its patron saint, who was converted to Christianity by St. John the Evangelist and became the Bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp was martyred by the Romans in AD 155 after refusing to renounce his faith in Christ. His feast day is celebrated on January 26th.