St. Helena Catholic Church was designed by Raymond Charles Péré, the architect of İzmir Clock Tower in Konak,[2] on land allocated to the Catholic Community of Father Don Alfonso Vallery in the early 20th century.
The construction of the church was completed in 1904, due to the financial support of Count Nikolai Alliotti and the permission granted by Abdul Hamid II. The Muslim Community in Karşıyaka also contributed to the church's construction through donations.[3] Today, St. Helena Catholic Church is actively used. The church is named after Saint Helena of Constantinople, the wife of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and mother of Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Several people still believe that she discovered and preserved the True Cross and other relics of Jesus.[2]
The church's construction features include built-in brick, concrete, and sandstone.
Structural issues led to a renovation of the interior in 1968, with efforts to protect the building's historical character.[3] Although the interior was renewed, the exterior remains unrenovated. To prevent damage, the brick arches were reinforced with concrete. The church's interior, designed in the classical cross form, avoids the use of columns along the main axis.[citation needed]
Context
St. Helena is surrounded by residential buildings around the church, which is located at the center of Karşıyaka. The church is isolated from the outside with the help of its garden, surrounded by high-rise building. The church and its garden are protected with high walls and large doors that lead in a straight line to the church doors. In this case, the church has an axial approach.[citation needed]
There is a big gallery between the small galleries. This church is built on the Basilica plan. The architect Raymond Charles Péré was inspired by Gothic architecture. The cross vaults emphasize the architectural richness that belongs to the roof system. St. Helena Church has multiple types of marble used in the interior decoration. One of them is Italian marble that was used on an altar located at an apse, while the columns and heads located at the nave are made from Marmara marble. The most important column is the first religious martyr of the city, St. Polycorpos. There is an org at the upper part of the church that was used for women to pray. When architectural plans of a church are examined, it can be noted that the aisle forms the body of the church's form while the transept forms the arms of the cross.
