Church of Surp Asdvadzadzin, Holy Mother of God (Istanbul, Kukapı)

Marian Invocation of Istanbul (Kukapı) (Istanbul)
Recognized by the Church

The church of Surp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Mother of God), of Armenian Apostolic Rite, is located in the Kukapı district of Istanbul. It is a church of the XVII@-@ XVIII centuries and current headquarters of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Dedicated to the Mother of God, it is the main Armenian apostolic center of Turkey.

Main data

Origin and history

The church of Surp Asdvadzadzin (Holy Mother of God), of Armenian Apostolic Rite, is located in the Kukapı district of Istanbul. It is a church of the XVII@-@ XVIII centuries and current headquarters of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Dedicated to the Mother of God, it is the main Armenian apostolic center of Turkey.

The image and the sanctuary

The temple is consecrated to the Holy Mother of God. There is no official account of concrete miracles linked to a specific image within the temple; devotion is deeply identifiable, but it is not publicly presented as a miraculous sanctuary.

Sponsorship and coronation

There is no record of formal patronage or canonical coronation.

Party and devotion

The celebration of the Assumption of Mary, an Armenian feast known as Vardavar, with the blessing of grapes and other fruits, is well established. The custom is maintained that Armenian families who have suffered forced migration or economic difficulties will bear their first grapes or fruits in thanksgiving to the Mother of God, a living tradition described in parish chronicles.

Link to the Rosary

The Latin Rosary is not typical of the Armenian Apostolic Rite, which honors the Mother of God with her own hymns and prayers. However, the strong devotion to the Holy Mother of God who beats in this temple coincides at the bottom with what the Rosary contemplates: the divine motherhood of Mary.