Pauluskirche (Tarsus)
The St. Paulus Church (Aziz Paul Kilisesi) is a former church in the Ulu Cami district of the city of Tarsus in the southern Turkish province of Mersin . It is the only surviving old church in the city. It is consecrated to the Apostle Paul , who came from Tarsus , which is why the building is of great symbolic importance for Christians around the world. At the moment it is no longer listed as a church by the state, but as the "St. Paul Memorial Museum".
history
The origins of the church go back to the 12th century. In the 19th century it was restored as a Greek Orthodox church after it fell into disrepair. The region's Christians were displaced in several batches in the first half of the 20th century, which is why there is no local church today. In 1943 the Paulskirche was transferred to state ownership by the Turkish government and initially used as a warehouse, later converted into a museum. It was only placed under protection in 1993, and some restoration work was also carried out between 1998 and 2000.
Since 2000, the church is at the request of the Turkish Ministry of Culture on the UNESCO World Heritage - Tentative . Promises by Turkish government agencies to approve the reopening of the building as a church have not yet been honored. Church services by tour groups are possible after registration.
In October 2010, the German Federal President Christian Wulff and the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Adıyaman of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Grigorius Melki Ürek, took part in a service in St. Paul's Church.
Architecture and equipment
From the outside, the Pauluskirche is an inconspicuous building made of ashlar with a flat gable roof. Since its floor is well below street level, it appears lower than it actually is. The south and north walls have blind arches . In the west there is an open portal hall. A cross-shaped window is let into the north entrance. Three semicircular apses form the east end . Above the northern one stands the remainder of a small, open bell tower.
Inside, the Pauluskirche presents itself as a three-aisled, three-bay basilica without a choir or transept. The columns are Romanesque , the shape of the arches is early Gothic . The murals on the ceiling and clerestory come from different epochs and to the Apostle Paul and his history reference. In front of the main apse there is a templon ( iconostasis ), today without pictures.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The St. Paulus Church in Tarsus , Welt-online , August 26, 2010
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Freedom of religion is a human right , rp-online , October 22, 2010
Coordinates: 36 ° 54 ′ 50.9 ″ N , 34 ° 53 ′ 52 ″ E