The most unusual church in Turkey's largest city has several names. Locals call it the Church of One Day, tourists call it the Church of Wish Fulfillment or the Church of the Keys. Common names: Church of the Virgin Mary and Church of the Holy Source. On the first day of each month, many people gather at the gate of the temple. And, judging by the inexhaustible flow of people of different faiths, desires are really fulfilled if a person sincerely believes in the miraculous power of this place.
Healing source
The date of construction of this church is unknown, but the legend about its origin is widespread. In the middle of the 18th century, a garden was located here, bought by a Greek. The daughter of the owner of the garden, Mary, had a dream in which the Blessed Virgin told the girl about the healing spring in the garden and indicated its exact location.
Inside the church.
In the morning, the whole family went to the indicated place. Together they thanked the Lord for the miracle and built the Church of the Virgin Mary using simple savings. The source can still be found in one of the basements. Pilgrims line up in a separate queue to collect not too tasty, but healing water.
Staircase leading to the source.
Spring water can be drawn directly from the installed taps.
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Keys of happiness
You can pray in the church in silence, confess and ask for blessings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but there are only 12 days a year for guaranteed fulfillment of desires. Every first day of a new month, you can purchase special keys that open the doors to happiness. Some ask for blessings for the fulfillment of a wish on other days, but the tradition still designates for this only one day in a month.
On the first day of each month, huge queues line up to the church.
At what time the church first began to fulfill wishes is not known for certain. However, inside the temple there are many ancient icons, prayed for centuries in heavy wooden frames. Some are covered with glass, in which round windows are carved, so as not to prevent believers from kissing the face of the saint.
The keys to happiness.
All wooden frames are locked with small locks, the keys to which can be bought at the entrance to the church. These keys become the guarantee of the fulfillment of desires. Each key is one desire, how many desires you need to fulfill, so many keys you need to acquire. According to rumors, about 3000 of these keys of happiness are sold out every first day of the month.
In the Church of the Fulfillment of Desires.
Many visitors bring notes from their friends who cannot visit the church in person. They put notes inside the icons, after purchasing the keys according to the number of desires.
Notes-wishes under glass icons.
Algorithm for the fulfillment of desires
Surprisingly, this church is popular with representatives of different religions. In the Church of the Virgin Mary you can meet Orthodox, Catholics and Muslims. Everyone prays in his own way, but the algorithm for getting what he wants is the same for everyone.
There is a special atmosphere in the Church of the Fulfillment of Desires.
After buying the keys, you need to go around all the icons in the church, opening the salary on each icon in turn with your key. If the key does not fit the lock, you need to simulate its opening and go to the next salary. It is necessary to do these actions with every key available, systematically approaching all the icons in the church, telling the saints about their desires.
The church is very crowded every first day of the new month.
Keys and candles are sold to the right and left of the church entrance.
You can open the icon frame purely symbolically.
After completing the action with the keys, you definitely need to get a blessing from the priest, then go down to the source to wash, drink healing water, take some with you. After that, you can safely go home, carefully keeping the keys of happiness.
The key must be kept until the wish is fulfilled, and then it is imperative to return it to the church.
The cycle of keys in nature
When the desire has come true, you can go to Istanbul again. According to tradition, when the wish came true, the key must be returned to its place, to the Church of One Day.
And treat the parishioners with something sweet. Someone, having returned, distributes lumps of sugar, someone - fragrant honey baklava. And they tell everyone that it really works, wishes come true.
In the courtyard, you can always meet those who distribute sweets. These are the lucky ones whose desires have already been fulfilled.
Church of the Fulfillment of Desires, Istanbul.
In the Church of One Day, the stream of people never stops.
The address of the Church of the Virgin Mary: Hacı Kadın Mahallesi, Katip Çelebi Caddesi No: 25, 34134 Fatih / İstanbul, Turkey. You can get to it by metro M1 or tram T1, arriving at the Aksaray station. Getting off at the station, you need to walk about 25 minutes along Ataturk Boulevard. In case of difficulties, local residents will be happy to show the way.