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The Surp Pırgiç Church in Karaköy, #Istanbul is home to a unique ceremony that takes place once a year. The church was the first #Armenian Catholic church to be consecrated in the Ottoman Empire after the Armenian Catholic millet was recognised by Sultan Mahmud II in 1830.#Thread 
When the church was first opened in 1834, Istanbul was suffering from a major plague outbreak. A painting of the Virgin Mary & Baby Jesus that was sent to the church as an inaugural gift from the #Vatican was paraded around the streets of Istanbul to ward off the plague.
Eventually, as the plague outbreak in the city died down, many attributed this to the miraculous powers of this painting in #SurpPırgiç. Sultan Mahmud II took note of this and gifted a diamond brooch to the church and its congregation.
