MECMiddle East
Churches

Questions and answers

What is the oldest church in Türkiye (Turkey)?

No single oldest church in Türkiye (Turkey) can be named reliably. The one most often named is the Cave Church of Saint Peter in Antakya, ancient Antioch, where tradition says Peter preached. Nothing dates the building itself; its oldest surviving parts, fragments of floor mosaic and traces of fresco, are from at least the fourth or fifth century. The oldest monastery still active is Mor Gabriel in Tur Abdin, officially founded in 397, whose main church was built in 512. In Istanbul, Saint Mary of the Mongols is the only surviving Byzantine church that has always remained a Greek Orthodox place of worship.

The candidates, and what each date means

PlaceDateWhat the date refers toEvidence
Cave Church of Saint Peter, AntakyaOldest parts at least 4th or 5th centuryCave church, now a museum; building undatedTradition links it to Peter; floor mosaic and fresco traces; extended by Crusaders after 1098
Mor Gabriel MonasteryOfficial foundation 397; main church 512Monastery in use; church still standingThe community is older than 397; Emperor Anastasius had the church built
Saint Mary of Blachernae, IstanbulBegun 450; present church 19th centurySanctuary site in use; Byzantine building lostEmpress Pulcheria began the church; the Byzantine complex was destroyed in 1434
Basilica of Saint John, Philadelphia (Alaşehir)About 600Purpose-built church, ruinsMassive piers survive; Philadelphia is one of the seven churches of Revelation
Saint Mary of the Mongols, IstanbulNunnery early 7th century; church rebuilt after 1281Byzantine church, always in Orthodox useRebuilt by the Byzantine princess Maria Palaiologina; never converted into a mosque

Antioch and the cave church of Saint Peter

Antakya is ancient Antioch, where the Acts of the Apostles says the disciples were first called Christians. Above the city, a cave about thirteen metres deep is cut into Mount Starius, and tradition holds that Peter preached there and founded the church of Antioch. That is why the Cave Church of Saint Peter is so often called the oldest church in Türkiye, or even in the world.

The evidence is more modest. There is no reliable information for dating the construction of the church. Its oldest surviving parts, fragments of floor mosaic and traces of fresco to the right of the altar, are from at least the fourth or fifth century. Crusaders who took the city in 1098 lengthened it and built a façade, which Capuchin friars rebuilt in 1863 at the request of Pope Pius IX. Today it is a state museum where services can be held only with permission from the provincial governor.

Monasteries, Istanbul and the seven churches

In Tur Abdin, in the south-east, Mor Gabriel is one of the oldest continuously active Christian monasteries anywhere. Its community began before its official foundation date of 397, and the main church with its prayer hall was built in 512 by order of Emperor Anastasius; it is still in use and the monastery is the residence of the bishop of Tur Abdin. Nearby, Deyrulzafaran outside Mardin has no known construction date; tradition credits its chapel to a bishop of Mardin of 793–816, and it was the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs from 1293 until after the First World War.

In Istanbul, Empress Pulcheria began the sanctuary of Blachernae in 450, but the Byzantine complex was destroyed in 1434 and the present church is from the nineteenth century. Saint Mary of the Mongols began as a nunnery in the early seventh century and was rebuilt shortly after 1281; it is the only surviving Byzantine church in the city that has always remained a Greek Orthodox place of worship. The seven churches of Revelation, among them Ephesus, Sardis and Philadelphia, were first-century communities; the buildings visited there today are later, such as the Basilica of Saint John at Philadelphia, built around 600.

Limits of this answer

“Oldest” depends on what is counted. A place linked by tradition to an apostle, a monastic community, a church building still standing and a site of worship are different things. The Antioch cave church is undated as a building; only its surviving fragments are dated. Mor Gabriel’s 397 is an official foundation date, and its church of 512 is the oldest date in this list for a church still standing and in use. Many older churches of Asia Minor survive only as ruins or were converted to other uses, and some are not in this guide. This guide documents 32 places in Türkiye.

Places mentioned

Sources

Main book references

  • George A. Kiraz. “al-Zaʿfarān, Dayr”. Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage, ed. Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay; electronic edition. Gorgias Press (print, 2011); Beth Mardutho (electronic edition), 2011/2018. Entry “al-Zaʿfarān, Dayr”.
  • Andrew N. Palmer. “Gabriel, Monastery of Mor”. Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage, ed. Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay; electronic edition. Gorgias Press (print, 2011); Beth Mardutho (electronic edition), 2011/2018. Entry “Gabriel, Monastery of Mor”.

Data and supplementary sources

Encyclopedia entries were read in full in their electronic editions; each is credited to its author. Page and column references appear only where the source prints them; the Gorgias dictionary is cited by entry title.