St. Esprit Cathedral

The Beauty of St Esprit Cathedral

The wonderful thing about Istanbul is that it is such a vibrant, welcoming, and cultural city. Whilst this is the largest city in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, there are various religious buildings sitting side by side in total peace. This is something which really make Istanbul a special city indeed.

Located in busy Taksim, St Esprit Cathedral is a huge and beautiful Catholic Cathedral, and one which receives many visitors from all around the world. Known also as ‘The Cathedral of The Holy Spirit’, this is one of the main churches of the Catholic religion in the city, and as such, a popular place to head to.

About St Esprit Cathedral

Builtin 1846 by Guiseppe Fossati, a famous architect of the time, St Esprit Cathedral is a functioning church, and therefore has regular mass services throughout the week. The cathedral sits behind the famous Notre Dame de Sion High School, and visitors can venture inside either for mass services, or simply to look around at the beautiful architecture and decoration.

St Esprit Cathedral is the second largest cathedral of its kind, with the Basilica of St Antonio di Padavo, located halfway down Istiklal Avenue in Taksim, the largest Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul. The crowds do tend to flow to this particular church, because of its very central location and the fact it is the largest, which makes St Esprit Cathedral a little quieter, and therefore calmer.

The church is built in a typical baroque style, and has been visited by several popes over the years. There is a large statue of Pope Benedict XV in the courtyard, and a little further down the street you can find what is the official representative office for the Vatican in Istanbul, dating back in official terms to 1960.

Of course, we know that Istanbul has suffered several earthquakes and fires over the years, and the poor original construction state of the cathedral left it prone to damage on several occasions. In 1865 an earthquake particularly affected the building and a restoration effort took place shortly afterwards. There have been several other reconstructions over the years.

The Architecture of St Esprit Cathedral

We mentioned that St Esprit Cathedral is built in baroque style and the cathedral actually has three naves, which fits in with the style of the time. When you enter the cathedral make sure you look up at the ceiling, as it is decorated very intricately with beautiful frescoes across the entire span.

We also mentioned the statue of Pope Benedict XV in the courtyard and you should visit this and read the plaque that rests next to it. The statue was commissioned by Turkey in remembrance of the support the Pop gave to Turkish soldiers. The plaque says ‘benefactor of all people, regardless of nationality or religion’. A wonderful sentiment.

Visiting St Esprit Cathedral

St Esprit Cathedral is located close to Taksim, in Pangalti. You can visit for a mass service, conducted in either English or French, and these are from Monday to Friday at 6pm in French, and 10am in English on a Sunday, and 11am until 3pm on a Sunday in French.

You don’t have to attend a mass if you don’t want to, as the church is open for visitors to simply gaze in awe at the architecture, decoration, and history, or to simply sit and contemplate for themselves.

Of course, St Esprit Cathedral is very close to some of the major tourist attractions in Istanbul, within a stone’s throw from the centre of Taksim. You could head down Istiklal Street and soak up the atmosphere, visiting the largest Roman Catholic Church we mentioned previously, or you could keep walking down the road and down into the Galata neighbourhood, and visit the stunning Galata Tower too. The view from up high is simply amazing, and you can even have a cup of tea or coffee at the cafe on the highest level.

If you want to continue your day, if you have space and your feet don’t hurt too much, you can then head over to Eminonu and take in some of the stunning Bosphorus sights to be seen from there. Why not jump on a Bosphorus river cruise and try and catch that stunning sunset glow over the Golden Horn?

You can spend however long you like in St Esprit Cathedral, so it may be that you have spare time before or after your visit, for extra exploration too.