Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, alternatively known as the St. Esprit Cathedral, located on Cumhuriyet Avenue, 205/B, in the quarter of Pangaltı in Şişli district, the former Harbiye, between Taksim Square and Nişantaşı, is one of the principal Catholic churches in Istanbul, Turkey.
It is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the city after the Basilica of S. Antonio di Padova on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu.
The church was built in Baroque style in 1846 under the direction of the Swiss-Italian architect Giuseppe Fossati and his colleague Julien Hillereau.
St. Esprit has been a destination of several papal visits to Turkey, including those of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
A statue of Pope Benedict XV stands in the courtyard of the cathedral.
Giuseppe Donizetti, a musician at the court of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, is buried in the vaults of the church.
