The Greek visitor wrote on Instagram: “My beloved city, forever Greek.” Credit: Apostolos Papatheodorou/Instagram
A man unfurled the Greek flag inside the historic site of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul causing anger in Turkey.
Apostolos Papatheodorou, a Greek visitor, caused a stir when he proudly displayed the Greek flag and captioned his Instagram post with the words, “My beloved city, forever Greek.”
Wave of reactions in Turkey over Greek flag in Hagia Sophia
The image quickly spread across Turkish media platforms, triggering a wave of reactions. Many Turks denounced the act as provocative, questioning how such an action could be permitted within a symbolically significant location.
Some even directed their ire towards Turkish authorities for allegedly allowing the incident to occur unchecked.
Among the responses, some took a more aggressive tone, resorting to veiled threats and references to historical events. Comments such as “I hope you know how to swim” and “The sea is cold, my love” drew implicit parallels to the tragic Smyrna disaster, a dark chapter in Greek-Turkish relations.
Hagia Sophia, the symbolic center of the Greek Orthodox faith
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul remains the symbolic center of the Greek Orthodox faith even almost six centuries after its fall to the Ottomans and its conversion to a mosque.
From 537 to 1453, the “Great Church,” as the Byzantines called it, was the Eastern heart of Christianity.
The massive temple held a total of twenty-three thousand worshipers, and 525 priests, deacons, and chanters served its liturgies.
It is commonly believed that the last Orthodox liturgy in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople took place on May 28, 1453, just one day before the fateful moment that the beacon of Orthodoxy fell into Ottoman hands.
A brave Greek priest managed to hold an Orthodox liturgy in Hagia Sophia in 1919 at a time when the iconic cathedral functioned as a mosque.
Eleftherios Noufrakis (1872-1941) from Rethymno, Crete was the man who performed this act of heroism out of his love for God and his country. Inexplicably, Father Noufrakis’ name is not even a footnote in the modern history of Greece.
Thanks to a book, Archimandritis Eleftherios Noufrakis: An Emblematic Figure of Hellenism, by Antonios Stivaktakis, the fascinating story of “Papa Lefteris” has now come to light.
Despite the ravages of time, Hagia Sophia remains universally acknowledged as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It was pronounced a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
In early July 2020, the Turkish Council of State annulled the Cabinet’s 1934 decision to establish the museum, revoking the monument’s status, and a subsequent decree by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered the reclassification of Hagia Sophia to a mosque.
This redesignation is controversial, invoking condemnation from the Turkish opposition, UNESCO, the World Council of Churches, and many international leaders.
The Petralona Cave is one million years old. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture
The Petralona cave in Chalkidiki, Greece is open to the public again after five years, while the ceremonial opening is expected to take place in a few days by Greek Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni.
The project “Uncovering the Petralona Cave and Upgrading its Infrastructure” started in 2019 overlooked by the Paleoanthropology-Speleology Ephorate of the Ministry of Culture.
The Athens-Macedonian News Agency spoke to the head of the Paleoanthropology-Speleology Ephorate, Andreas Darlas about the works done in the cave that has seen thousands of visitors since the 1970s when it opened for the public.
The corridor was widened and now extends to 250 meters. During work to widen the corridor, it was possible to carry out excavation documentation for the first time.
Formed More than a Million Years Ago
With an area of approximately 10,000 sq.m. but accessible to 10 percent to 20 percent, the Petralona cave is estimated to have been formed more than a million years ago. It was a place where foragers took refuge. Also, wild animals, such as lions, bears and hyenas took shelter there, as evidenced by the majority of fossils found.
Inside the Petralona cave there is a large “hall”, known as the “Cave of red stones” because the red color from the iron oxides prevails.
As part of the work, the lighting of the cave was important, as Darlas explains: “Caves are a world of darkness and that’s why we paid special attention to the lighting, which is adjustable and gives the required feeling.”
Darlas added that the temperature and humidity inside the cave are recorded in real time while an intercom was installed in certain points and closed circuit television.
The Skull of Petralona
The Petralona skull is covered by the calcifications of a stalagmite. Credit: Nadina/Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
A unique rare find to which the Petralona Museum owes much of its fame and attendance is the human skull found in 1960.
“The skull was found stuck at a height, that is, it was not on the floor and it was in very good condition,” Darlas said. “But the issue is that it was found by an area resident who unglued it and brought it to the surface and to the scientists.”
However, when the finder indicated the spot where he found the skull, it was certain that valuable evidence had been lost since its discovery was not made by experts who would have provided more scientific evidence based on its exact location.id Mr.
“Its uniqueness also lies in the fact that it was almost intact,” Darlas said.
The skull of Petralona is placed in the species Homo heidelbergensis. This species has a series of skulls that essentially include all forms, which constitute the transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens and are referred to as archaic Homo sapiens.
Anthropologist Aris Poulianos, who dealt with the find for many years, estimated that this is the oldest European and called him “Archman”. The dating of the skull became a matter of controversy and was at the center of the years-long struggle over the operation of the cave.
“The issue is that the cave was inhabited by people, something that has been disputed. Since remains, tools and the by-products of the manufacture of stone tools were found, then it is an archaeological site,” clarifies Mr. Darlas.
The Age of the Skull is 200,000 Years
The first findings of the cave, from the 1960s to the mid-70s and the famous skull, are kept in the Museum of Geology – Paleontology – Paleoanthropology.
“The skull is a paleontological find, it is not archaeological. Archaeologists deal with the cultural manifestations of man, we deal with the bones, with natural anthropology,” Professor of Paleontology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Evangelia Tsoukala told AMNA.
Chronologically the skull in the Petralona Cave has been determined to be 200,000 years old, but it is not its age but its state of preservation that makes it unique on the planet. “It was found whole and the studies are still ongoing and inside its intracranial imprint” Tsoukala said.
A traditional Clean Monday spread. Credit: Kyriakos Persidis / Greek Reporter
“Kathara Deftera,” Greek for “Clean Monday,” is considered one of the most important annual feasts in Greece, commencing the 40-day period of Great Lent, or “Sarakosti,” for the Greek Orthodox Church.
The feast begins on the first day of the 7th week before the Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday.
Liturgically, however, Clean Monday—and thus Lent itself—begins on the preceding Sunday night at a special service in which all those present bow down before one another and ask for forgiveness.
In this way, the faithful begin the Great Lent with a clean conscience, forgiveness and renewed Christian love. The day of Clean Monday is sometimes called “Ash Monday” by analogy to Ash Wednesday, the day on which Lent begins in Western Christianity.
Clean Monday also puts an end to the riotous Carnival celebrations that preceded it, inviting all Orthodox Christians to leave behind the sinful attitudes associated with Carnival festivities and non-fasting foods, which were largely consumed during the three weeks of Carnival.
As a result, the feast, which is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish, and other fasting foods, as well as the widespread custom of making and flying kites.
Culinary delights of Clean Monday
Grilled octopus dish at the famed Evripos restaurant in Chalkida, Greece. Credit: Kyriakos Persidis / Greek Reporter
Eating meat, eggs, and dairy products is traditionally forbidden for Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, and fish is eaten only on major feast days.
The consumption of shellfish and mollusks, however, is permitted in the Greek Orthodox Churches, thus creating the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood, such as cuttlefish, octopus, or shellfish, including shrimp and mussels.
A traditional dip made from the salted and cured roe of carp or cod, mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and bread crumbs, called “taramosalata,” is also part of the fare consumed on Clean Monday.
Taramosalata is ideal for spreading on “lagana,” a special kind of unleavened flatbread which is baked only on that day. The history behind this bread dates back to the Old Testament and refers to the help offered by God to the Israeli people while guiding them from Egypt to the promised land.
Since then, Israelis have baked unleavened bread, or lagana, throughout the Passover period, with the tradition passed on to early Christian believers.
In Greece, records of a thin bread called “laganos,” which is mentioned in the works of the great comic playwright Aristophanes, date back to ancient times, indicating that the tradition is also linked to the country’s ancient history.
Accompanying these delights are also black-eyed beans or just common baked beans, vine leaf wrapped rice balls called “dolma,” and of course some Greek wine or tsipouro.
As for dessert, a variation of the familiar Arabic sweet called “halva” is served, made of tahini, a sesame paste, and sugar, often combined with nuts or chocolate and baked in a square or round shape.
Clean Monday, however, is not only associated with eating fasting foods but also features many other delightful traditions celebrated all over Greece. Traditionally, as Clean Monday is considered the unofficial beginning of the spring season, kite flying is also part of family activities.
Young people and adults organize excursions to open areas so as to fill the skies with their kites. Many traditional workshops have been devoted to constructing such kites for over seventy years now.
Although traditional wooden kites have been replaced by plastic ones, the kite-making handcraft still has its own secrets. A light wooden frame on a paper body, cords on the balances, and a single cord on the tail make for the perfect kite, ready to carry children and grown-ups off their feet in the winds of March.
Apart from kite flying, many areas in Greece maintain their own regional customs on Clean Monday. In Thebes, an old custom dating from 1830, called the “Vlach Wedding”—in reference to the matchmaking of the time—is revived each year, with all participants joining in the festivities with satirical songs and lots of dancing.
Meanwhile, in the village of Mesta on the Greek island of Chios, according to another Clean Monday custom, which has its roots in the period of Ottoman Greece, the village is “invaded” by an Ottoman military officer along with his troops who after gathering all residents to the central square, makes them pay a fine for the charges brought against them. The collected money is then given as tribute to the cultural association of the village.
The feast of Clean Monday and all its associated traditions and celebrations are in the hearts of the Greek people, as they provide an opportunity for leisure, an escape from daily routine, and a connection with nature and the country’s cultural heritage.
President Vladimir Putin, pictured September 2022. Credit: Council.gov.ru / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0
Vladimir Putin won by a landslide in Russia accumulating more than 87 percent of the vote in a Presidential election where no credible opposition candidate was allowed to stand.
The result means Putin will rule until at least 2030, when he will be 77. As Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, he will secure a third full decade of rule.
Western countries lined up to condemn the vote as neither free nor fair. The US said the election was “obviously not free nor fair,” and Germany called it a “pseudo-election” under an authoritarian ruler reliant on censorship, repression, and violence. UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron condemned “the illegal holding of elections on Ukrainian territory.”
With most opposition candidates either dead, jailed, exiled, or barred from running and with dissent effectively outlawed in Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin faced no challenge to his rule.
Putin hails election in Russia
President Putin hailed Russia’s presidential campaign as far more advanced than the US, citing Russia’s use of online voting, which officials said brought in eight million voters.
“It’s transparent and absolutely objective,” he suggested, “not like in the US with mail-in voting…you can buy a vote for $10,” he said.
“What did you want, for them to applaud us? They’re fighting with us in an armed conflict …their goal is to contain our development. Of course, they’re ready to say anything,” he added.
He praised opposition campaigners for encouraging voters to turn out in greater numbers, although he condemned those who spoilt their ballots and said action would be taken against them.
For the first time, he referred to Alexei Navalny—his most vocal critic—by name, a month after he died in a penal colony in the Arctic Circle.
In a remark possibly aimed at rebutting widespread allegations that he had Navalny killed, Putin confirmed reports that he had explored exchanging him for prisoners held in the West on the condition that his rival would never return.
“I said I’m for it but, unfortunately, what happened happened,” Putin said. “What can you do? That’s life.”
The election was also held in occupied regions of Ukraine
Russia also held the presidential election in four Ukrainian regions it annexed during its full-scale invasion. Ukraine said the elections violated international law and would be designated “null and void.”
Russian-installed authorities in occupied Ukraine reported a high turnout of more than 80 percent. However, evidence has emerged of voter coercion. Russian Telegram channels have shown Russian soldiers accompanying election officials as they go house-to-house to collect votes.
One video from Luhansk showed an elderly woman in her apartment filling out an election paper and putting it in the ballot box, while a man in army fatigues stood over her with a rifle slung across his chest.
After the release of preliminary results on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin a “dictator” and Russia’s election a “sham.”
Tradition dictates that Athenians go to Filopapou Hill to fly kites on Clean Monday. Credit:Huhu Uet/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0
Kathara Deftera, or “Clean Monday”—the beginning of Lent among Orthodox Christians—is the day Greeks fly kites (which are symbolic of the Resurrection) and go on picnics outdoors. The holiday is also the unofficial start of spring for Greeks.
Young people and adults organize excursions to open areas all across the country so as to fill the skies with their kites.
Tradition dictates that Athenians go to Filopappou Hill to fly kites on Clean Monday. The hill near the Acropolis is usually shoulder-to-shoulder with kids and their families mostly attempting to fly a kite despite the crowds. The atmosphere is always fun and festive despite the sobriety of Lent.
How to make a kite for Clean Monday
Many traditional workshops have devoted themselves to the making of Clean Monday kites for over seventy years now. Although traditional wooden kites have sometimes been replaced by plastic ones, the kite-making handcraft still has its own secrets.
A light wooden frame on a paper body, cords on the balances and a single cord on the tail make the perfect traditional kite, ready to carry children and grown-ups off their feet if the wind is strong enough.
Making a traditional homemade kite is not easy. It requires patience and time to make it right. But what a great feeling it is to get outside after a long winter and fly a kit on Clean Monday! Here is how you do it:
According to some scholars, the custom of kite flying arrived in Greece from the East. Others claim that its origin in the Mediterranean is traced back to the experiments of ancient Greek mathematician Archytas (428-347 BC).
Kathara Deftera and Lent
Kathara Deftera is considered one of the most important annual feasts in Greece, commencing the 40-day period of Great Lent, or “Sarakosti,” for the Greek Orthodox Church.
The feast begins on the first day of the 7th week before the Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday.
Liturgically, however, Clean Monday—and thus Lent itself—begins on the preceding Sunday night at a special service in which all present bow down before one another and ask for forgiveness.
In this way, the faithful begin the Great Lent with a clean conscience, forgiveness, and renewed Christian love. The day of Clean Monday is sometimes called “Ash Monday” by analogy to Ash Wednesday, the day on which Lent begins in Western Christianity.
Clean Monday also puts an end to the riotous Carnival celebrations that preceded it, inviting all Orthodox Christians to leave behind the sinful attitudes associated with Carnival festivities—and non-fasting foods, which were largely consumed during the three weeks of the Carnival.
As a result, the feast, which is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting foods, as well as the widespread custom of building and flying kites.
Filiki Eteria played a crucial role in the uprising which led to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Image by Greek painter Tsokos. Credit: Public Domain
The Filiki Eteria (Φιλική Εταιρία), or the Society of Friends, as it was otherwise known, was founded on September 14, 1814 and played a crucial role in the uprising which led to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821.
However, there were two camps: those who believed that the time for Greek revolution or war was “here and now” and those who believed that it was too early.
In 1814, three Greeks of the diaspora came together in Odessa in present-day Ukraine, where a thriving Greek community lived. They formed a secret society with the purpose of initiating a Greek revolution to rid the country of the Ottomans.
The beginning of the Filiki Eteria
The three founders were Nikolaos Skoufas from the Arta province, Emmanuil Xanthos from Patmos, and Athanasios Tsakalov from Ioannina.
Soon after, Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos from Andritsaina joined the organization.
The Filiki Eteria recruited mostly Phanariot Greeks from Russia, local chieftains from Greece, and Serbs.
Two of its early outstanding members were Alexandros Ypsilantis, a prince and high-ranking officer of the Imperial Russian Cavalry; Moldovan lord Michael Soutzos, the father of modern Serbia; and founder of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, Karageorge Petrovic.
Future leaders of the Greek War of Independence, such as Theodoros Kolokotronis, Odysseas Androutsos, Dimitris Plapoutas, and the metropolitan bishop Germanos of Patras also joined the Filiki Eteria.
In 1818, the Filiki Eteria moved to Constantinople. The year was marked by the death of founding member Skoufas. Xanthos and Tsakalov attempted to find a prominent person to take over the leadership of the secret society.
Alexandros Ypsilantis becomes leader
The other two founding members contacted Alexandros Ypsilantis and offered him leadership of Filiki Eteria, which he took up in April 1820.
Ypsilantis started preparations for an armed revolt and set up a military unit he named the Sacred Band.
Initially, the start of the revolution in Constantinople was proposed, but the idea was dropped in favor of the Peloponnese.
The Filiki Eteria created a cash box where a large sum of money was collected to meet the needs for arms, ammunition, and supplies for the revolution.
They even established an auditing system so that there was no abuse of the funds collected.
Ypsilantis recruited many untrained fighters, while at the same time calling on Greeks living in other countries to contribute in any way they could to the liberation war.
Ypsilantis sent fiery letters to all centers of Hellenism, asking diaspora Greeks to participate in the fight.
Failed Filiki Eteria revolt in Moldova; message for Peloponnese uprising
In October 1820, Ypsilantis decided to start the Greek revolution in Iasi, Moldova. It was a catastrophic move, leading to the slaughter of thousands of fighters.
Nevertheless, the revolutionary seed of the Filiki Eteria was planted, and the slogan “Freedom or Death” started playing on the lips of Greeks. They were determined to fight to the death for liberty.
On February 24, 1821, Ypsilantis sent a prophetic letter to his Filiki Eteria colleagues asking them to start the fight or contribute by sending money and supplies for the armed struggle: “Future generations will bless your names and they will praise you as precursors of their freedom and bliss.”
His prophetic proclamation was verified by history. Filiki Eteria was the vehicle for the uprising and inspired the heroes who started the revolt a month later. It was “Freedom or Death” indeed.
The Greek Carnival, a beloved tradition for all ages, reached its peak on Sunday with countless revelers joining in the joyous celebrations. Credit: Amna
The exuberant Greek Carnival festivities, cherished by both the young and old, reached their climax on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of celebrants across the country joined in the revelry.
The “Apokries” is the most colorful celebration in Greece with every region having its own traditions and ways of enjoying the holiday.
Patras Carnival
For decades, the Patras Carnival is the biggest and most popular by far. People from every corner of Greece flock there every year as they did this year. Even foreigners plan their trip to Greece around this time of the year to attend.
This year was no exception. Hotels and rooms to let were fully booked for the week as more than 60,000 carnival participants with 181 groups, surpassing every previous record, flooded the streets in the grand parades according to the Municipality of Patras’ data.
Despite the capricious weather, the Carnival parade was spectacular, followed by thousands of people in fancy costumes. On Sunday night, thousands of levelers continued to throng the streets dancing and drinking.
Carnival in Northern Greece
Xanthi, in northern Greece, also boasts one of the biggest and popular Carnival parades. Attendance is in the tens of thousands every year. This year locals and visitors ignored the cloudy weather and danced to their hearts content.
Xanthi has the distinctiveness to have a lot of Muslims from the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. A few thousand people from Turkey arrive every year to join the fan, while tourists from the neighboring Balkan countries tend to partake in the Greek Carnival.
The Carnival in the northern Kozani city had a more traditional tone, with locals dressing in traditional clothes and folk music of the area blasting.
During the season celebration there is a tradition to satirize and mock events in a funny song. It is called Fanos and the satirical song is sung around a fire. This year the “victim” of Fanos was the song by Marina Satti that will represent Greece in the Eurovision song contest. It was sung by a group of elderly men in the local dialect.
The Greek Island of Zakynthos Celebrates Carnival
Beautiful Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea – birthplace of Dionysios Solomos who wrote the poem that became Greece’s National Anthem – wore its Carnival costume and let loose in Sunday’s big parade.
As every year, the parade with Conte Carnavalos (Count Carnival) and all the groups and floats started at the arch of Agios Lazaros and ended at Solomos Square where laughing and dancing continued into the night.
The Greek Carnival is celebrated before the 40-day period of Great Lent called “Sarakosti”. It allows people to enjoy all the food, drinking and dancing before entering the 40 solemn days before Easter.
March 17, 1821: “Victory or death” reads the sign over the cross in the Greek revolutionary flag of Mani. Credit: dimitrisvetsikas1969/pixabay
Mani was the place where the Greek uprising against Ottoman rule actually started, and not in Kalavryta on March 25th 1821, as is often believed.
Although that date was later designated as the day of revolt and the beginning of the War of Independence, revolutionary acts took place in several areas across the Peloponnese as early as March 17th of that year.
Mani was the first area on the Peloponnesian Peninsula to declare open revolution, and they did so on March 17, 1821.
According to written testimonies, the elites of the region, who had been granted privileged status by the Ottomans — including the appointment of the Bey — asked their leader to be the very first to declare war against the Ottomans.
Their bold declaration was in line with the plans of the secret revolutionary society Filiki Eteria.
At the call of Petrobey (Petros Bey) Mavromichalis, all the Maniates chieftains gathered in Tsimova, today’s Areopolis, and decided to begin fighting against Ottoman rule.
This led to the lightning-quick liberation of Kalamata and the creation of the Messinian Senate.
However, none of the written testimonies recorded mentions an actual official gathering in Mani at which the proclamation of revolution took place.
Impregnable Mani
Throughout the period of Ottoman rule in Greece, Mani remained virtually impregnable, despite repeated attempts by the conquerors to enslave it.
The area enjoyed a kind of independence through its alliance with Venice.
Its mountainous, barren terrain made it easy to defend against attacks. It was only in 1776 that the area was declared a semi-independent tribal hegemony under the direct jurisdiction of Kapudan Pasha.
One of the area’s chieftains was appointed Bey, and he alone was responsible for keeping law and order.
Previously, Mani had become “the biggest bully of the Ottomans and the refuge of the Greeks,” as local folklore has it.
Due to its peculiar status, there were continuous armed conflicts in the area between the Maniates and the Ottomans.
Hardened warriors of Mani
In fact, this was why the Maniates were also the only experienced, hardened warriors in the Peloponnese.
The fierce reputation of the locals, combined with the relative independence and rugged terrain of the area, which could serve as a base and at the same time as a refuge, had made Mani the most appropriate place to start the revolution, in the eyes of Greeks and their foreign allies alike.
Despite rivalries and disputes which cropped up between the large clans of the region during the last decades of the Turkish occupation, several revolutionary movements were able to take root and the Maniates participation in the great revolution began to take shape.
The leaders assembled at Kitries, at the home of Petrobey Mavromichalis, the last Bey of Mani, and signed an agreement on conciliation and joint preparation in October of 1819.
In addition, many Maniates chieftains, and Petrobey himself, rushed to become initiated in Filiki Eteria, reinforcing the belief that any universal Greek uprising had to be supported by the Mani people.
In fact, Filiki Eteria founder Alexandros Ypsilantis’ original plan was to go there himself to declare a revolution; however, that ultimately did not come to pass because of the dangers entailed by his move into European territory.
Portrait of Petrobeys Mavromichalis, the last Bey of Ottoman rule.
The cancellation of the Ypsilantis plan, instead of frustrating the Maniates, only intensified their revolutionary fervor. Military unrest in the region, as in the rest of the Peloponnese, had been growing since early 1821.
Proclamation of the revolution
Following the orders of Filiki Eteria, Grigorios Dimitriou Dikaios, known by the nom de guerre “Papaflessas,” along with great chieftains such as Christos Papageorgiou (who took the war name of Anagnostaras) and Theodoros Kolokotronis, came to Mani, and traveled around the villages to recruit fighters.
Preparations were carried out in secrecy in East Mani, where the presence of Ottoman forces was virtually non-existent.
Petrobey Mavromichalis had somehow successfully managed to cover up the presence and movements of the chieftains in that area.
He had also avoided going to Tripolis in late February, when the Ottoman governor of the Peloponnese – in order to weaken the insurgency in his territory – had summoned all the local leaders of the Peloponnese on the pretext of conferring with them, but in reality planning to detain them there.
To cover his tracks, Petrobey Mavromichalis sent a message that he was ill and sent his son Anastasios to Tripolis to represent him.
In this way he successfully reassured the Turkish leadership of his loyalty while at the same time buying important time for the chieftains.
The proclamation of the revolution at the Areopolis of Mani took place on March 17, 1821 according to local oral tradition. There are no written testimonies of this monumental event, but nevertheless, on March 17 every year in Mani, a ceremony attended by the President of the Hellenic Republic commemorates the auspicious beginning of the Greek War of Independence.
Recorded live, watch a tour of one of the most historical and beautiful towns in Greece, Areopoli, as we are visiting the area of Mani to discover the rich history, gastronomy and wonderful proud people known as Maniates. Also visit Limeni and Oitilo and all the other traditional villages of the Mani Peninsula. #Uknown #Spectacular #Greece
Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi signed a bilateral cooperation agreement. Credit: Prime Minister’s Office
Greece and Egypt signed an agreement on the establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council in Cairo on Sunday.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made joint statements after signing the agreement.
The Greece-Egypt bilateral agreement was signed prior to a joint meeting between the two leaders, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of Belgium, Italy, Austria and Cyprus.
“For us today is an excellent day for this strategic cooperation with Egypt” Mitsotakis said during the joint statements made by all participating parties. “Egypt’s stability and prosperity are of the utmost importance for the EU, and Greece is a supporter,” the Greek Prime Minister stressed.
“Greece is ready to help in any effort to achieve stability in the region. Our country has a leading role in the “Shields” operation, Mitsotakis said.
In regards to the humanitarian aid sent to war-stricken Gaza, Mitsotakis said, “We congratulate Cyprus for opening a new humanitarian corridor”.
Regarding the energy cooperation between the two countries, the Greek Premier said, “Egypt can become an energy center for the region. We will continue to promote projects such as the GREGY interconnection pipeline.”
On his part, the Egyptian President said: “Your visit today is of great symbolic importance because together we made a change in our cooperation.” El-Sisi stressed that it was agreed to hold a summit between the EU and Egypt in the second half of 2024.
“A big concern of ours is the war in Palestine. We will ask for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of corridors for humanitarian aid,” he added.
Credit: Prime Minister’s Office
EU Earmarks €7.4 Million Package for Egypt to Curb Migrant Influx
“Today we have before us a historic day with the signing of a partnership based on six pillars. I am happy to announce that it will be supported with a new package of 7.4 million euros,” said European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU official also referred to energy investments and, as she said, the GREGY interconnection program that connects Greece with Egypt increases Europe’s energy security.
“We are all terribly concerned with the war in Gaza, which is facing famine. This is irreversible! Humanitarian aid must reach Gaza,” stressed Von der Leyen.
“Five hundred trucks a day leave for Gaza, 275 million will be provided by the EU to the Palestinians. We have sent over 1,800 tons of medical supplies and we need to be sure that these supplies will reach Gaza,” she said.
Economic pressure in Egypt and conflicts and chaos in neighboring countries could drive more migrants to European shores.
Egypt has been a refuge for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to escape war or poverty. For some, Egypt is a destination. For others, it is a point of transit before attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Kyra Panagia is the closest island to the submerged settlement of Agios Petros. Credit: wikimedia commons / Chris Taklis cc by 3.0
The small islet of Agios Petros, north of Alonissos, Greece, is believed to be the oldest submerged settlement of the Aegean.
Founded around the end of the 7th millennium BC by a community of farmers, fishermen, and seafarers, Agios Petros presents a unique archaeological example of an island settlement.
In Agios Petros (Saint Peter) a civilization flourished for about 1,000 years. A few dozen families settled permanently on the islet, which at the time was connected by land to its larger neighbor Kyra Panagia, around 6100 BC.
Agios Petros is located next to Kyra Panagia in the northern Sporades. Credit: Google Maps
“The fact that the marine settlement of Agios Petros is preserved to this day at the bottom of the Aegean several thousand years after it was founded by the first agricultural groups that arrived in Greece, makes it a special archaeological site,” Nikos Efstratiou, professor of Prehistoric Archeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) says.
Efstratiou, who has been heading the archeological research in the area, adds that the site “allows us to investigate a series of important issues concerning the history of the island, the habitation in the Aegean, and the natural environment that the first islanders saw.”
Excavations on the islet have revealed stone rectangular and arched buildings, two children’s burials in natural rock cavities, stone piles, and ancient walls.
In addition, human-like figurines, inscribed ceramic sherds, and tools made of flint were uncovered, as well as food remains from various animals, birds, fish and oysters.
“The islet was not an isolated community but had cultural contacts with other and often more distant areas such as the southern Aegean, Thessaly, the Balkans, and Anatolia. The arrival of agricultural groups from Anatolia to Greece has been proven by archaeological finds,” Efstratiou says.
Inhabitants of Agios Petros were farmers, fishermen and hunters
“We learned from the excavations that the inhabitants of Agios Petros were farmers, breeders but also fishermen and hunters. This is evidenced by the remains of animals, birds and fish found in the archaeological layers, on land, and in the sea,” he adds.
The prehistoric settlement of Agios Petros was first discovered in the 1960s by the archaeologist Dimitris Theoharis, then the Antiquities Commissioner of Thessaly.
Since the 1980s, the head of research has been Efstratiou, who carried out the first marine research in the area, in collaboration with the well-known oceanographer N.C. Flemming and a team of divers from the University of Cambridge.
In search of the neolithic civilization of Agios Petros islet. Credit: Farmers at sea
Today the research conducted by the AUTH and the Ephorate of Marine Antiquities is part of a promising five-year program.
What archaeologically distinguishes Agios Petros from other projects in Greece is the extensive underwater research, which started in 2021 in the context of an ambitious five-year program (2021-2025).
“Research is focused on locating ancient human DNA and opening test sections at the points where surviving architectural remains have already been identified. We are also looking for clues that will enlighten us about the practices of early navigation in the Aegean, such as for example the type of boats used by the first islanders – something about which we can only make assumptions since there is a lack of similar findings internationally”, he emphasizes.
At the time the settlement was developed, the islet of Agios Petros was connected to Kyra Panagia by a peninsula, which today has been submerged.
“The process of the gradual sinking of the settlement of Agios Petros is a completely natural process related to the continuous rise of the sea level and not due to some dramatic geological phenomenon,” Efstratiou says.
