Armenian protestant church in Istanbul's Beyoglu district has been turned into a reception hall, Ermenihaber.am reports citing Sozcu.

The first and second floors of the building, which was built in 1850 and was in active use until 1922, served as a school and a church, respectively. The Beyoglu municipality declared the church a public domain in 1995.

Istanbul City Council member, representative of Turkey’s Republican People's Party (CHP) Hussein Sagi criticized the decision to use the building for other purposes. “The head of Beyoglu district succeeded in turning the historic church into a “multifunctional one,” he ironized.

“The building was to be renovated, reopened for worship and returned to its legal owners. What place of prayer has ever served as a reception hall for engagement or wedding parties?” the official said.