The Crimean Church was built in Victorian Gothic style between 1858 and 1868 in memory of the Crimean War. The church, which closed in 1978 due to lack of congregation and was restored by Sri Lankan refugees, reopened in 1991. Since the church reopened, the crypt has served as one of the main sites of the church’s charitable work to help refugees and immigrants who find themselves in Istanbul. The church has hosted more than 2,000 homeless people in recent years and continues to provide assistance to displaced people, especially Christians who have fled Pakistan.