Saint Vukolos Church Cultural Center (Ayavukla Church)

Saint Vukolos Church Cultural Center (Ayavukla Church)

It was allocated to Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 2003. The restoration project, prepared by the Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architectural Restoration between 2004-2007, was carried out by the Izmir No.1 Regional Board for the Preservation of Cultural and Medical Heritage. Restoration work started after the site was handed over in December 2008. With the state-of-the-art restoration works, the murals symbolizing the figure of Jesus Christ, Saint John with the Golden Mouth and the angels Michael and Gabriel were brought to light again. The outbuilding of the church was arranged as 'İzmir Press Museum' and put into service. In the Press Museum, which was brought to the city with the cooperation of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Izmir Journalists Association and Ege University, there are exhibits that will revive memories of events and names that are important in the history of the press. Among these items are journalist Metin Göktepe's sweater, Uğur Mumcu's first computer and Abdi İpekçi's typewriter. Church is used for cultural and artistic events.

The history

Saint Vukolos Church was built by the Greek Orthodox Community in the second half of the 19th century. It is an Orthodox Greek Church located in the neighborhood named after it, which was built in 1886, in the Etiler District of Kapılar today. Although other Greek Churches in the city burned down during the great Izmir fire in 1922, Ayavukla Church was not affected by this fire. Later, the building, which lost its function after the Greeks left Izmir with the exchange, was turned into a Museum of Asar-ı Atika at the request of Atatürk in February 1924. It was organized as İzmir Archeology Museum in February 1927, and this situation continued until the museum building in Kültürpark was opened in 1951. With the proclamation of the Republic, with the importance of museum studies, some reliefs, sculptures, friezes and many historical artifacts were saved and put in their garden. In 1951, the museum moved from here to the fair area. The building, known as the 'Gözlü Church', was later used as a warehouse and was allocated to the İzmir State Opera and Ballet Directorate for a period, but became out of use after an unfortunate fire. The building, whose ownership belongs to the Treasury, was registered as a cultural asset to be protected with the circular number 152 dated 17 January 1975.