Saint Polycarp Church in the Alsancak district is the oldest continuously operating Catholic church in Turkey, dedicated to the early Christian martyr who was bishop of the city in the second century CE. The current building dates from 1620, though it has been restored several times, most recently after the catastrophic fire of 1922.
The church is active and serves İzmir's small Catholic community. It is open to visitors during the day, and the interior — modest but atmospheric — reflects the long Catholic presence in this cosmopolitan port city. The neighbourhood around it, with its mix of old Greek, Levantine, and Armenian heritage buildings, is worth exploring on foot.