St Anthony of Padua

St Anthony of Padua

St Anthony of Padua
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Beyoglu
Istanbul’s most famous street, pedestrianized Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), throbs day and night and offers a fantastic array of architectural sights, shops, treats, and throngs upon teeming throngs of people. At the avenue’s northeastern end is expansive Taksim Square, thought by many to be the very heart of the city, with many of Turkey’s most renowned restaurants and some of Europe’s most happening nightlife in close proximity. In striking contrast, Beyoglu’s less trafficked areas – such as the affluent Cihangir and the antiques district of Cukurcuma – exude Old World charm and provide contemplative calm and splendid diversion via an assortment of cozy cafes, attractive boutiques, and quiet lanes.
How to get there
  • Şişhane • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • TravelerCentralFLA
    Clermont, Florida1,811 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Beautiful Catholic Church
    I stopped by St Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church on my recent visit to Istanbul. I actually stumbled upon it while I was walking down Istiklal Street. It has beautiful architecture and is worth a visit.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 2 December 2023
  • Sanka1 🇱🇰🇬🇧
    Bicester, United Kingdom6,161 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Serene
    St. Anthony of Padua Church, located in the heart of Istanbul's bustling Istiklal Avenue, is a serene church featuring neo-gothic architecture. Known locally as Sent Antuan Kilisesi, this is the largest Roman Catholic church in Istanbul. Inside, the church exudes a peaceful and solemn atmosphere, with its elegant stained-glass windows and ornate altar creating a sense of reverence. As it's Christmas, the church was also decorated with Christmas deco. It's a symbolic melting pot of diverse congregants, reflecting Istanbul's multicultural fabric. The church not only serves as a place of worship but also as a symbol of coexistence and tolerance in a historically diverse city.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 December 2023
  • starlightShanghai
    Victoria, Canada4,609 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tranquility
    One of the ways to get to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua is to take Tram 5 to the Tophane tram stop, cross the main drag, then climb up Throat-Slitter Street (a.k.a. Bogazkesen Cd.) right across from the tram stop. This Everest-like route ends at Istiklal Street. Istanbul is built on seven hills. I think the term ‘hills’ might just be a slight under-statement. The tram stop is at sea level, and the church is at the top of a ‘hill’ and almost immediately to the left on Istiklal Street. For me, the easiest way to find any religious building in Istanbul is to simply look for a group of cops! And sure enough, that’s where the church was. The Church of St. Anthony of Padua is the largest Catholic Church in Istanbul. The current church was built in 1725, but eventually demolished, with the new church built on the same site between 1906 and 1912. The church has a stunning interior. It’s amazing how quiet and serene this church is, given its location on one of the busiest streets in Istanbul!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 March 2024
  • stmichel25
    Bengaluru, India97 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    Went for Easter Mass. It was at 10am in English. Every Sunday Mass is at 10am. Lovely church and choir and it was full for Easter service. Beautiful church. So glad we got to attend Mass there and in English
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles703 reviews
Excellent
386
Very good
247
Average
64
Poor
3
Terrible
3

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia19,634 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
St. Anthony's our family Saint as we were married and both our kids baptized in his Church in our hometown, Belgrade. Therefore, wherever I travel I visit St. Anthony's.
In Istanbul it's located somewhere around the middle of the busy and popular Istklal St. You're about to miss it easily (like we did), as it's secluded into a courtyard behind a nice iron fence and street facade.
The Basilica is the largest and most important Catholic Church in Istanbul. The original Church was built by the Italian community in 18c, but it was demolished later. The present Neo Gothic edifice was built at the beginning of the 20c in 1912 with beautiful front facade and simple yet nice interior.
Written 7 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Antonello
La Spezia, Italy1,389 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Beautiful church located in the center of İstiklal Caddesi which is one of the most characteristic streets of the city (to be clear, that of the historic red tram). I visited it between Christmas and New Year 2023, appreciating the external nativity scene. I attach photos. Greetings.
Google
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

starlightShanghai
Victoria, Canada4,609 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
One of the ways to get to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua is to take Tram 5 to the Tophane tram stop, cross the main drag, then climb up Throat-Slitter Street (a.k.a. Bogazkesen Cd.) right across from the tram stop. This Everest-like route ends at Istiklal Street.

Istanbul is built on seven hills. I think the term ‘hills’ might just be a slight under-statement. The tram stop is at sea level, and the church is at the top of a ‘hill’ and almost immediately to the left on Istiklal Street.

For me, the easiest way to find any religious building in Istanbul is to simply look for a group of cops! And sure enough, that’s where the church was.

The Church of St. Anthony of Padua is the largest Catholic Church in Istanbul. The current church was built in 1725, but eventually demolished, with the new church built on the same site between 1906 and 1912. The church has a stunning interior.

It’s amazing how quiet and serene this church is, given its location on one of the busiest streets in Istanbul!
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helene S
Houston, TX1,952 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Beautiful Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic Church tucked away off busy İstiklal Avenue. Run by Italian priests, masses are conducted in Italian, Polish, Turkish and English.

Pope John XXIII conducted mass at this church for a decade when he was the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey. He is affectionately known as the "Turkish Pope" in Turkey due to his fluency in Turkish and his love for Istanbul and the Turkish people.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vievver
Krasnodar, Russia378 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
A paradox. I couldn't find another word to call my review. Beautiful building, wonderful courtyard in a typically Italian style. It's great, but...
We came to church on Sunday. Naturally, the temple is open for morning mass. Intending to go inside, but we weren't allowed to...! There was a serious, tightly dressed black man at the entrance. Clearly vested with the power to keep us out ... Absolutely refused to let us in, told us to wait without explaining why. The only people he didn't let in were people of a different skin colour from his, his tribesmen passed freely. Our family, dad, mom and baby, specially prepared, women put on counseling clothes but like so many other people stayed outside. Please understand me correctly, I am in no way a Nazi. Visited dozens of Christian, Muslim and Buddhist temples. No one ever said a word to me. Totally normal and tolerant of all races and nationalities. But what my family encountered in this temple is out of line. I'm sorry, but it's just racist.
This character clearly has nothing to do with Turkey. What does it even have to do with this temple I don't know.
Until this day, I thought the church was God's house and open to all.
Too bad.
I hope that such a negative incident does not happen to anyone again.
I'm sorry for the emotional lyrics, but this is the first time we've ever done this in a temple.
Automatically translated
Written 17 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ben F
Bloomington, IN1,815 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
Don’t miss it! St Anthony of Padua is a modest-sized but stunning church located to the left of Istiklal Street (the direction walking toward Galata Tower), but if I can picture the atmosphere correctly, it’s hidden behind a dubious alley, and its presence isn’t clear from the street itself. Once found, though, the photo opportunities are plentiful. I enjoyed the informative signs around the exterior of the church that explained its history, and for those seeking entry, that was possible too. I didn’t enter myself, but next time, it’s on my list!

No need to spend an outrageous amount of time here, but please check it out briefly. Appreciate it as a gem in the city that not many go to as first-time visitors to Turkey. It’s free and beautiful, so what’s to lose!
Written 31 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

furly75
Bangkok, Thailand5,758 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Stunning Catholic church right in the center of Istanbul in the shopping street. Mass is celebrated in a lot of languages including Italian on Sundays at 11.30 in the morning. Inside it is very beautiful like our cathedrals with paintings and a very rich altar. Very popular given its historical beauty and location.
Google
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Meowy
Montgomery, AL520 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
I was walking through Taksim when I saw this church out of the corner of my eye. It is set back from the main street and hidden amongst all the shops in the area. Seemed a bit out of place but that added to its charm. The church is in its own little courtyard away from the crowds of Taksim to the point you hardly know where you are once you get off the street. The church itself is beautiful and artistic and peaceful. Worth the visit for some peace among the shopping crowds.
Written 5 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Abovetheclouds
2,320 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
In the middle of the busy and chaotic Istiklal Street! Peace and calm. Beautiful. Loved it. Structure and architecture. I wish I had timed it for mass (check the times if you can). Definitely recommend.
Written 5 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stmichel25
Bengaluru, India97 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Family
Went for Easter Mass. It was at 10am in English. Every Sunday Mass is at 10am. Lovely church and choir and it was full for Easter service. Beautiful church. So glad we got to attend Mass there and in English
Written 8 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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St Anthony of Padua, Istanbul

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