The architecture of Santa Maria Draperis Church has some unique characteristics that distinguish it from other Catholic churches in İstanbul specially in terms of its size , building materials and decoration .
The construction material gave the church advantage as masonry was used in the construction of Santa Maria and its vaulted roof and due to that , the church survived the great fire in 1831 with little damage while other churches were destroyed .
At the beginning of the main hall , there appear the altar and the chancel area , which feature Roman Catholic and late Baroque style . Sculptor Lorenzo Gerotti worked on the altar which was built using Marble brought from Italy .
Some of the inner walls of an originally open arcade resemble the Ottoman baroque style with slender columns and multi-centered arches . Ottoman style also appears in the windows . The rest of the church is colorfully ornamented . The icon which is above the altar is the most significant valuables that has survived from the original church and it is believed that Madame Clara Bratola Draperis , after whom the church was named , has donated it to the church .
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