IT WAS the Sultan who gave the land for a church to the British in gratitude for their involvement in the Crimean War. Inevitably, when the foundation stone was laid in Istanbul in 1858, it was for a Victorian Gothic church designed by G. E. Street. By 1989, it had been deconsecrated and was in a poor state, and Canon Ian Sherwood was sent by the then Bishop of Gibraltar to restore it.

Now, Christ Church is a thriving part of the diocese in Europe. While it was still being restored in 1991, refugees from the first Gulf War started to arrive. Many of them were Sri Lankan workers displaced from Kuwait, who had come via Baghdad. They were housed in the undercroft, which has since become St George’s Hostel. Refugees themselves helped to convert it, and now it is a refuge for people from such countries as Sri Lanka, Sudan, Congo, and Burundi.

Some of the young men, says Rebecca Erol, who works there, are keen to be involved in the life of the church and its services, and help with the upkeep of the gardens and parsonages while they wait for acceptance of their refugee status and relocation. The hostel also takes families who hope eventually to go to Canada, Australia, New Zealand or France. Meanwhile, a team of English-speaking volunteers from the church teach the children English, maths, and geography (above).