St Polykarp Church
The oldest Catholic Church in Izmir is St. Polykarp Church.
It was built in 1625 with the permission of Sardin Suleiman I. The church is dedicated to Saint Polycarp, the martyred Bishop of Smyrna and famous for his Baroque frescoes of Polyacap's life.
It is a church that remains an active place of worship.
St. Polykarp is a rare witness today to Christian resilience as well as interfaith respect in Ottoman and modern Izmir.
