Church of Surp Hireşdagabet (Holy Angels)

Church of Surp Hireşdagabet (Holy Angels) review

Tentatively dated to the 13th century, this church was taken over by the Armenians in the early 17th century. Although much of the current structure dates from 1835, the side chapel and ayazma (sacred spring) are original Byzantine features. The congregation is composed almost exclusively of headscarved Muslim women - many devout Muslims take both Christian and Jewish rituals very seriously as 'precursors' of Islam. The church is famous for one thing: every 16 September, a miracle cure is reputedly bestowed on one member of the congregation. Muslims with birth defects or incurable illnesses from all over Turkey crowd the church, hoping to be the lucky one.