The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, also known as Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul, is today head of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Churches but one that has exerted a very significant political role and today still exercises a spiritual authority.
Armenians in Turkey, one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 million Armenians between the years 1914 and 1921. Today, the overwhelming majority of Turkish Armenians are concentrated in Istanbul. They support their own newspapers, churches and schools, and the majority belong to the Armenian Apostolic faith and a minority of Armenians in Turkey belong to the Armenian Catholic Church or to the Armenian Evangelical Church.
Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, or Mutafian, also known as Mesrop Mutafyan in Eastern Armenian transliteration, was the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople is one of the four Sees of Armenian Apostolic Church and has an autocephalous status, accepting, on the other hand, spiritual supremacy of the Catholicos of Armenia and of all Armenians in Holy Echmiadzin.
Christianity in Turkey has a long history dating back to the early origins of Christianity in Asia Minor during the 1st century AD. In modern times the percentage of Christians in Turkey has declined from 20 to 25 percent in 1914 to 3–5.5 percent in 1927, to 0.3–0.4%, roughly translating to 200,000–320,000 devotees. The percentage of Christians in Turkey fell mainly as a result of the late Ottoman genocides: the Armenian genocide, Greek genocide, and Assyrian genocide, the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the emigration of Christians that began in the late 19th century and gained pace in the first quarter of the 20th century, and due to events such as the 1942 Varlık Vergisi tax levied on Non-Muslim citizens in Turkey and the 1955 Istanbul pogrom against Greek and Armenian Christians. Exact numbers are difficult to estimate as many former Muslim converts to Christianity often hide their Christian faith for fear of familial pressure, religious discrimination, and persecution.
The Patriarchate of Cilicia is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction and the only patriarchate of the Armenian Catholic Church of the Catholic Church. The territorial jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Cilicia is the Archeparchy of Beirut, over which the Patriarch of Cilicia holds ordinary authority. The St. Elie and St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Catholic Cathedral in Beirut, Lebanon, is the cathedra of the Patriarchate. The Patriarchate is headed by Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian elected in September 2021.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Turkey:
Religion in Istanbul covers the issue of religion in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. More than 90% of Istanbul's population are Sunni Muslims and Alevism forms the second biggest religious group. A 2019 survey study by KONDA that examined the religiosity of the voting-age adults in Istanbul showed that 47% of the surveyed had a religion and were trying to practise its requirements. This was followed by nonobservant people with 34% who identified with a religion but generally did not practise its requirements. 11% stated they were fully devoted to their religion, meanwhile 4% were non-believers who did not believe the rules and requirements of a religion and 4% were atheists who did not believe in religion at all. 24% of the surveyed also identified themselves as "religious conservatives".
Archbishop Sebouh Chouldjian born Haik Sarkis Chouldjian; Armenian: Սեպուհ արքեպիսկոպոս Չուլճեան; Turkish: Başpiskopos Sebuh Çulcuyan; Russian: Архиепископ Сепух Чулджян; also Sebuh, Sepouh, Sepuh, Chuljian, Tchuljian, Chuljyan, Çulciyan)) was the metropolite of the Diocese of Gougark of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Istanbul, also known as Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Constantinople, serves Armenian Catholics in Turkey and is under the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia. Its cathedral is St. Mary of Sakızağaç Cathedral in Istanbul.
Callinicus IV, born Constantine Mavrikios, was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for a few months in 1757 and a writer and scholar.
Armenians in Istanbul are a major part of the Turkish Armenian community and historically one of the largest ethnic minorities of Istanbul, Turkey. The city is often referred to as Bolis (Պոլիս) by Armenians, which is derived from the ending of the historical name of the city Constantinople.
The Pangaltı Armenian Cemetery was located in the Pangaltı quarter of Istanbul near Taksim Square and originally belonged to the Surp Agop Armenian Hospital. In the 1930s, it was demolished and was replaced with the Taksim Gezi Park, Divan Hotel, Hilton Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hotel, and the TRT Radio Buildings.
Taksim Surp Harutyun Church, is an Armenian Church in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul.
Patriarchate of Constantinople generally refers to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the seniormost authority in the Eastern Orthodox Church, led by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The diocese of Constantinople is alleged to have originated with Andrew the Apostle's visit in 38, and has been formally designated as Patriarchate since 531. Its seat is the city successively known as Byzantium, Constantinople, and now Istanbul, Turkey.
The Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church of Galata is the oldest extant Armenian Apostolic church in Istanbul. It was built in the late 14th century, in the Genoan period, shortly before the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans. Located in Galata (Karaköy), it is the city's only church built in the traditional style of the Armenian church architecture—namely with a dome with a conical roof.
Surp Asdvadzadzin Patriarchal Church, also known as the Holy Mother of God Patriarchal Church, is an Armenian Apostolic church located in Kumkapı quarter of Fatih district in old Istanbul, Turkey. It is the church of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, which has its offices directly across the church in the same street.
Archbishop Sahag II Mashalian, also known as Sahak Mashalyan in Eastern Armenian transliteration became the 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople in 2019.
