The former Orthodox Ayavukla Church of Basmane, Izmir (photographed in 2006-7)
image courtesy of Onur İnal
Situated in the former Armenian district of Basmane, this church was for the followers of the Orthodox faith, the so called ‘Hayhurum’ (Hayk-Rum or Armeno-Greeks). The building which has served a variety of alternative and inappropriate uses since 1922 is in a serious state of disrepair.
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Onur İnal
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
The Greek inscription is difficult to decipher, however, the date 1887 appears in the middle of the bottom line, which suggests that it is a dedicatory inscription. It looks to me like it has simply been smeared with a thin coating of plaster, which could easily be removed.
image courtesy of Onur Inal
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Onur İnal
The close-up of the church doorway, a Greek inscription is still visible, reading: “At the expense of [ie paid for by] the Association of Ladies”. This suggests that the rather ornate door surround was paid for by a women’s charitable organisation based in the local parish. Also the fact that the inscription is in Greek rather than Armenian script could point to change of control through the life of this church, possibly reflecting the gradual shift in the local composition of the pre-1922 population. According to the librarian at the Fener Orthodox Patriarchate, Yorgo Benlisoy, the building was built in 1866, named after Saint Voukolos, the first bishop of Smyrna, a student of Saint John the Evangelist, and the church was clearly built on the site of a classical period temple, as pagan icons were exposed while excavating for foundations.
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
image courtesy of Andrew Simes
A left over from a pre-1934 (when Latin script was adopted in Turkey) a plaque stating the function of the building post 1922 - Asar-ı atika müzesi - (the Archaeological Museum)