St. Vukolos Church
St. Vukolos Church or Ayavukla Church (Greek: Άη Βούκλας) is a Greek Orthodox church located in Izmir, Turkey. It takes its name from the first Bishop of Izmir, Vukolos. The St. Vukolos Church, which was started to be built in 1886 by the Armenians (Hayhoroms) of the Greek Orthodox faith, was opened to worship in 1887. It was the only structure of the Armenians that was not damaged in the 1922 Izmir Fire. As a result of the population exchange between Turkey and Greece, the church community left İzmir. In February 1924, at the request of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the church started to host the İzmir Archeology Museum. During this period, the frescoes in the church were covered. After the museum moved to its new location in Kültürpark in 1951, the church began to function as an opera study hall and a warehouse. In 1975, it was registered as a "cultural property to be protected". It was damaged in a fire in 1990 and became unusable. It was given to the use of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 2003. Restoration work began in the church in December 2008. After the restoration work was completed in 2010, the church began to be used for cultural events; İzmir Journalists Association Press Museum and Hanife Çetiner and Esin Yılmaz Memorial House were opened in two of the four annexes of the church. On August 17, 2014, a service for the Assumption of Mary was held for the first time since 1922 in the church. Various rituals were also held in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
