The striking presence above Taksim Square of the dome/semi-domes of this Armenian Catholic Church was quite revolutionary when the church was built in 1880. Under Ottoman rule, domes were prohibited for use in non-Muslim places of worship. But that all changed during the Tanzimat reforms. The church, which is still in use, is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in Istanbul. The facade features two symmetrical clock towers, best admired from inside the expansive garden courtyard, where the space is shared with a number of domesticated farm animals and friendly feral cats.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Istanbul, 1st Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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