Outside the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Istanbul
While I was walking along the Istiklal Avenue pedestrian shopping street. I happened to pass by a church. I know that churches have a tendency to turn into mosques here. Even the Hagia Sophia was formerly the largest church in the world for a thousand years but it was later converted into a mosque when Constantinople was captured by the Ottomans. So you could forgive me for having doubts as to whether this is a church or not. From the outside it certainly looks like one. It has a Neo-Gothic architecture with a prominent oculus in front.
Going in the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Istanbul
The church is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua which belies its origins. There was a settlement of people from Italy and they decided to build a church in honor of their patron saint. I thought it was good that it was never converted into a mosque since it shows the great level of religious tolerance that the Ottomans have in their empire. Perhaps what it is most known for is that fact that Pope John XXIII used to preach here before he was elected as pope. It is great to see a priest from a predominantly Muslim country be elected as pope.
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