Abstract:

The trace of a collective memory of a society is possible to find in various places. In particular, the places where the members of the community perform their daily practices and/or frequently visit in conjunction with a specific calendar are areas where social re-production is capable. In this way it is possible to increase both group communication and the development of the feeling of affiliation and the achievement of the identity associated with it. That is why these places where the memories of the groups are bound are called memories, and within these areas there is a special place for the temples. In this regard, it is not a coincidence that most of the temples are located at the center of the spatial organization of communities. Mabetes are an area of existence especially for immigrant groups with a different ethnic composition from the majority. From this point on, in this study, the meaning of the Moon Panteleymon Church, which serves the Orthodox people living in Istanbul, is discussed as a memory place. This way is aimed at understanding the practices of the different groups of migrants gathered through the common religion in the process of creating collective memory. This study was done using quality research methods. In the context of the study, there have been various divisions in the historical existence of the church. However, it was understood that the church was reactivated with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Despite the church’s gathering, historical breakdowns, intergenerational intersection and changing meanings, it sees the church as a attachment that preserves community memory. Also, a part of the church community creates a new identity by combining Orthodoxy with the idea of the Soviet Union.