Mersin, which was a small town by the sea until the 1800s and remained in the shadow of Tarsus, developed rapidly after this time, especially with the opening of the port. As time passed, the focus, population and economy of the city shifted from Tarsus to Mersin. Due to the conflicts between the Christian Maronites and the Muslim Druze in Lebanon, some Maronite families came and settled in Mersin. Again, with the increase of Catholics immigrating from Tarsus to Mersin, the need for a place of worship arose, the Catholic Christian community made a request from the Ottoman Empire and in 1853 Sultan Abdulmecit issued an edict for the construction of the place of worship.
Upon the issuance of the edict, Father Antonio and his assistant Father Vincenzo in Tarsus moved to Mersin in 1854 and opened a temporary place of worship on the land where the construction of the church had not started yet. Here again, they opened four classrooms for the education of Catholic children and named it "Padovalı Saint Anthony's College".
The construction of the church, started in the 1890s,and was completed in 1898. In 1991. The name of the place of worship was changed to the Latin Italian Catholic Church by the Vatican. Today, this building is one of the few cathedrals in Turkey. Cathedrals are religious buildings headed by a bishop and affiliated with other Catholic churches in the region.
The Latin Italian Catholic Church is one of the important examples of interfaith, tolerance and coexistence culture. The place of worship, which is open to visitors of all faiths, also has an impressive architectural appearance. In addition, the garden of the cathedral is one of the must-sees with its successful landscape.
The most worth seeing structure of the Latin Italian Catholic Church is the bell tower. Before the sea was filled in the 1930s, the 22-meter tower on the shore was the first structure to greet those who came to Mersin from the sea. Later a lighthouse was attached to the tower.
Especially the icon of the Black Virgin Mary, which is 4 meters high and 4.5 meters wide, is worth seeing. Again, with the closure of the Tarsus Catholic Church, the paintings brought from there are also visually impressive.
Where is the Latin Italian Catholic Church? Directions Information. How to Get to the Church
The Latin Italian Catholic Church is on Uray Street, one of the most central points of Mersin city center and one of the main streets of the city. It is also very close to Mersin Port.
To go to the Latin Italian Catholic Church by private car, we recommend you park your car on İsmet İnönü Boulevard (coast road) in the central Akdeniz District and take a short walk to the church. Because the roads close to the church are narrow and it is very difficult to find a parking space.
To reach the Latin Italian Church by public transportation, almost all public transportation vehicles in Mersin Center can be used because all vehicles pass near the church as it is a very central point.
If you come Mersin by train Latin Italian Catholic Church can be reached with a very short walk from Mersin train station.
Entry to the Latin Italian Catholic Church is free. Since religious ceremonies are conducted in the church, it is useful to make an appointment by phone in order to be able to visit more comfortably.
Phone: 0324 231 22 77
Places to be seen around Latin Italian Catholic Church
Refah Martyrs Monument 1.3 km
Mersin Archeology Museum: 4 km
Mersin Naval Museum: 4 km
Soli Pompeipolis Ancient City: 11.7 km
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