In the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, there is probably the largest concentration of active churches in the city, especially in the Taksim and Karaköy areas, where temples of almost all denominations can be found. In Karaköy, there is also the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Panteleimon.

The history of this church begins in 1873, when three dependencies of Mount Athos monasteries were built in Karaköy for pilgrims heading to Athos: the Panteleimon, Andrew, and Ilyin dependencies. These churches were housed in ordinary buildings with small domes and Orthodox crosses, as the dependencies included not only churches but also hotels for pilgrims. In the 1920s, the Church of St. Panteleimon and other dependencies became a refuge for Russian emigrants. Over time, the Russian community in Istanbul diminished, and the churches fell into decline, with some even closing. The Church of St. Panteleimon reopened to parishioners in 1995, while the Church of the Ilyin dependency is currently inactive and in disrepair.

The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Panteleimon is an unusual place located on the top floor of a six-story building. Climbing the spiral staircase and following the signs in Russian, one can reach the terrace, at the center of which is the church. The interior of the church is richly painted and adorned with an iconostasis. Two miraculous icons deserve special attention: the icon of St. Panteleimon, painted in 1898 on Athos, and the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, gifted by the Russian nun Mitrophania.