16 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Mysterious Chapel Discovered in Istanbul Bagcılar

While Istanbul continues to surprise with the richness of its historical heritage, this time a chapel was discovered in Bağcılar. While the historical building, which is not known exactly when and by whom it was built, draws attention to its unprotected and derelict condition, archaeologists suggest excavations in the region.

Located in the Bağcılar district of Istanbul, this structure, which resembles a passage when viewed from afar, draws attention as one of the forgotten historical spots of Istanbul.

While the building is estimated to be a chapel, there are workplaces around it and a school on top of it.

Photo: Sinan KUNTER

Answering the questions of NTV reporter Sinan Kunter, Archaeologist Ömer Faruk Yavaşçay said that he noticed the historical structure while researching on city maps.

Archaeologist Yavaşcay states that on some old maps, the structure is shown as “Ayazma”, which means holy water for Orthodox.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Photo: Sinan KUNTER

Noting that there was a Greek village in the region during the Ottoman period, Yavaşçay says that the structure was probably built by the people of the Greek Village in the late 1800s.

Yavaşçay, who also talked to the people of the region about the structure, learned that this place has used as a fountain 25-30 years ago.

Photo: Sinan KUNTER

Indicating that a detailed excavation work should be carried out in the region in order to obtain more information, Yavaşçay emphasizes that the chapel should be taken care of and protected.

The Bağcılar district is the fourth most populous in the Istanbul Municipality. It name was given due to the abundance of vineyards. The name bağcılar means “vine growers” in Turkish. The district used to be known as Yeşilbağ, which translates to “green vineyard”.

Photo: Sinan KUNTER

The name was changed to Yeşilbağ when Bağcılar became a town and the name Bağcılar was given again when Bağcılar became a district. The old name of Bagcilar, which was largely populated by non-Muslim people in the Ottoman period, was Çıfıtburgaz (Yahudburgaz).

Photos: Sinan KUNTER

Related Articles

Huge ancient stone murals discovered in central China: “It is an important discovery that enriches and rewrites the art history of the Song Dynasty”

10 October 2022

10 October 2022

Two stone murals from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) have been discovered in Henan Province, central China, and are the...

Ancient Agora Discovered in Hyllarima: Shops to Be Excavated in the Heart of the City

29 June 2025

29 June 2025

A major archaeological discovery has been made in the ancient city of Hyllarima in southwestern Türkiye—the city’s central agora has...

13,000-year-old Clovis campsite discovered in Michigan

10 September 2021

10 September 2021

In St. Joseph County, independent researcher Thomas Talbot and University of Michigan scholars uncovered a 13,000-year-old Clovis campsite, which is...

2000-year-old anchor discovered at the bottom of the North Sea

26 September 2022

26 September 2022

A possible Iron Age anchor made from wrought iron was found at the bottom of the southern North Sea during...

Ancient Bone Flute Discovered in Iran Offers Rare Glimpse into 8,000-Year-Old Musical Traditions

29 June 2025

29 June 2025

The National Museum of Iran has launched an exciting initiative in collaboration with the Public Relations Department of the Ministry...

The Sedgeford Anglo-Saxon malting complex may be the largest ever discovered in the UK

23 July 2023

23 July 2023

As archaeological excavations resume on a hill in Sedgeford, near Hunstanton, a seaside town in Norfolk, England, now more evidence...

13th-Century skeletons Unearthed in Annaea Mound

8 May 2021

8 May 2021

At the historical Kadıkalesi archaeological site in Turkey’s western Aydin province’s Kuşadası district, a total of five skeletons thought to...

Pot Overflowing with Persian Gold Coins from 400 BC Discovered in Türkiye

4 August 2024

4 August 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Michigan have uncovered a pot of ancient Persian gold coins in the ancient city of...

Treasure Hunter Claims to Find First Council of Nicaea’s Location, Demands $50 Million for Discovery

26 April 2025

26 April 2025

In a startling revelation, Mustafa Uysal, a treasure hunter from Bursa, has claimed to have unearthed an underground city in...

Research Team Identifies Oldest Bone Spear Point In The Americas

3 February 2023

3 February 2023

A team of researchers has identified the Manis bone projectile point as the oldest weapon made of bone ever found...

4th Century BC Greek Shipwreck Discovered Near Croatian Island of Vis – One of the Adriatic’s Oldest

10 July 2025

10 July 2025

A significant archaeological find has been confirmed off the coast of Komiža, near the Croatian island of Vis, where researchers...

Remains of 2 houses belonging to the founding period of the city were unearthed in the ancient city of Hierapolis

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

During this year’s excavations in the ancient city of Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Turkey’s Aegean province Denizli, the remains of two houses...

The remains of two new Doric temples are discovered under the Italian site of Paestum

15 January 2024

15 January 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed two new temples in the Doric style in Paestum, an ancient Greek colony in southern Italy. The...

Ancient Christian Settlement Discovered in Egypt

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Saturday that a French-Norwegian archaeological team had discovered a new ancient Christian settlement...

The Oldest Known Carvel-Built Shipwreck in the Nordic Region Found

6 March 2025

6 March 2025

Maritime archaeologists from the Museum of Wrecks (Vrak) in Stockholm have made a groundbreaking discovery off the coast of Sweden:...