French Church

The French Church is located in the Osmangazi district of Bursa, in the Hocaalizade District. Although the original name of the church, which was built by the French in the 19th century, is the Church of Santa Maria, the local people know it as the French Church.

When considered from an architectural point of view, the main feature that distinguishes the church, which stands out as having a different architecture compared to many churches, is that it was built in the same way as the kulliyes in Ottoman architecture. Just as in the Ottoman social complexes, mosques, soup kitchens, hospitals, madrasas, fountains, baths and similar structures are located close to each other and form a community of buildings; There is a similar situation in the French Church in Bursa.

The Church of Santa Maria basically incorporates a church, dispensary, orphanage and patient care centre. On the other hand, the upper cover of the church, which stands out with its baroque architectural style, consists of a wooden roof and tile covering.

The church, which has undergone many different repairs since it was built, was opened to the worship of families from Italy in the 1970s; In 2004, it was restored and turned into a cultural center.