The vibrant neighbourhood of Karaköy, near Galata Bridge, holds many secrets. If you are attentive, you will see secular buildings decorated with religious symbols, namely three crosses affixed to the roof. Usually, the crosses signal the location of a Russian Orthodox church. Odd? Not really. At the end of the 19th century, Russians who had settled in Istanbul skirted the ban on the construction of churches in the city by setting up places of prayer inside existing buildings.
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