Saint Leon
Surp Levon Kilisesi, the Armenian Catholic church where a long arc of Istanbul’s religious life intersects with imperial history. The name honors Pope Leo I, known in Armenian as Surp Levon, who led the church from 440 to 461. This building stands in Osmanağa, near Altıyol Square, beside Kadıköy Boğa Heykeli. The story begins with a wooden chapel erected in 1890. Because it soon outgrew its capacity, a firman dated 14 May 1905 ordered the chapel’s demolition and the construction of a church in its place. After the chapel’s removal, foundational work for the new church commenced in 1908 under Archbishop Andon Iskandaryan, with around a hundred people gathering for the ground-breaking. …
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