The First Church in The World
It is stated in many sources that the historical Saint Pierre in Antakya is the first church in the world. According to Turcologist Olgunlu, it is not true. Stating that St. Pierre is a “kenise”, Olgunlu claims that "Saintess Helena in Konya is the first church in the world."
Saint Pierre Church or Saint Petrus Church is stated to be the first church in the world in many sources. This cave, which is 13 meters deep, 9.5 meters wide and 7 meters high, used for secret meetings of the first Christians in Antakya, is considered one of the oldest churches of Christianity.
St. Pierre Church, in Antakya, is mentioned as the first church of Christianity in almost every source, especially the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. However, there is someone who objects to this information. Anatolian historian, writer and Turcologist Ali Canip Olgunlu has started a new debate with his statement on this subject. In his book named Hagia Sophia / The Biggest Sailboat on the Land, Olgunlu states that St. Pierre is not the first church in the world, He claims that the place where the first church was located was not Antakya but Konya.
St. Pierre is a “kenise” not a “church”
Olgunlu supported his claims on this issue with different arguments. Olgunlu thinks that “St. Pierre is a “kenise” not a “church”. "Kenise" means not a building name, but a secret place of prayer hall. Pointing out that “There are hidden caves in many places in Anatolia, Olgunlu said that “After Jesus, his apostles both worshiped and tried to spread this religion everywhere, especially in the cave where they could hide, in order to form a congregation. Although the main reason for choosing caves is shelter, it is a historical trend that stands out with the birth of Jesus in a cave. These places where worshiped secretly for religious reasons are called 'kenise', hence St. Pierre is one of the first “kenises”. At that time, Christianity was not legitimate and Rome was not Christian. Rome was not tolerant of Christians; therefore, they were not able to openly worship in a church.”
Saintess Helena Church in Konya
Olgunlu argues that “St.Pierre is not among the top seven churches in the world. Churches that are considered to be among the first churches, but only kenises, are as; Efes, İzmir (Smyrna), Bergama, Thyateira (Akhisar), Sardes (Salihli), Philadelphia (Alaşehir) ve Laodikeia (Denizli). As it is seen, although St. Pierre in Antakya is not included among the firsts, it is not understandable that he is pointed to be the first church in the world.”
The world's first church was built by Helena in Konya
Olgunlu, who has been traveling around Anatolia for years and providing information about historical artifacts and writing books, said that “The world's first church is located in Sille province near Konya. This church was built in 327 with the freedom provided by Constantin's Mother Helena, known as the 'mother of Christians'. The first church in the world is today known as Saintess Helena. This church had been built three years before Rome liberated Christianity. During her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Helena stops by Sille and provides the opportunity to make a place of worship for the believers there. Only a strong and faithful empress like Helena could do this.”
Turcologist Ali Canip Olgunlu: The first church in the world is the Saintess Helena Church in Konya
He stated that “In this context, Sille, Saintess Helena Church is the first in the world and Megale Ekklesia, which is named as the first Hagia Sophia, is the second church of Anatolia and therefore the world. The Megale Ekklesia was burned out, 44 years after its construction, as a result of a rebellion during the reign of Emperor Arkadios.
Who is Helena – The Mother of Christianity?
According to the historical records, Helena was born in Drapene in A.D. 250. Although her husband divorced her on the grounds that she was not from a noble family, when her son Constantin became emperor, Helena gained the title of Empress. In her eighties, she went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. She found the sacred items of Jesus Christ and brought them to Constantinapolis. One of these relics is known as the bones of St. Stephen, who was considered the first martyr for the Christian world. St. Stephen was the first person to be dismissed from Jerusalem and stoned to death for believing in Christianity. For Christians who believe that this event happened, although the time is unknown, the feast day of the saint is known as December 26. Having a devout, charitable and forgiving life, Helena was given the title of 'mother of Christians' by the fathers of the Iznik council. As a tradition after B.C. 31, while the Roman emperors were given the title of "Caesar Augustus", the wives of the emperors were given the title of "Augusta". Although Helena is not the emperor's wife, she is known as the first person to receive this title through her son.
