Saint Polycarpe Church
Saint Polycarp Church or Saint Polycarpe Church is a Catholic church located in Izmir, Turkey. It takes its name from Polycarp, the student of John, one of the twelve apostles, and Bishop of Izmir. St. Polycarp Church was built in 1625 with the permission of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I and King Louis XIII of France. It was built at the request of Louis. It was damaged in the 1688 Izmir earthquake and the subsequent fire. It underwent repairs in 1690-1691. The monastery of the church, which was damaged by fire in 1763, was destroyed. In 1775, King Louis XVI of France. The church, which was restored with the contribution of Louis and a monastery and cemetery were added, was turned into a three-naved basilica. In 1820, XIII. A marble plaque was hung in the church in honor of Louis. The church, to which chapels were added during the restoration carried out between 1892 and 1989, was decorated with frescoes depicting the life of Polycarp, made by the French architect Raymond Charles Péré. It was about to collapse as a result of the 1922 Izmir Fire and was rebuilt in 1929. The Aegean Sea earthquake in October 2020 caused damage to the church.
