A journey to his family’s ancestral homeland has turned into a painful search for answers. A 58-year-old Greek Orthodox monk has been missing in Turkey since July, leaving his family desperate for news.
Known as Joseph in monastic life and Nikolaos Tzigkozis by birth, he left Neo Mylotopos, near Giannitsa in northern Greece, on July 23, 2026. He hoped to visit Pontus and Cappadocia, regions linked to his family’s roots. He had also expressed a desire to live as an ascetic.
His family has received no confirmed information about his whereabouts since his departure.
The Monk’s Journey to Pontus
Joseph’s journey was not a sudden decision, according to his sisters. He had spoken repeatedly about visiting Pontus and reaching the places connected to his family’s history.
His monastic life began years earlier. According to his sister Evangelia, he was on Mount Athos in 2003. He later moved to the Holy Trinity Monastery in Lagadas and followed his abbot to Elassona. He eventually took the monastic name Joseph.
During a transition between monasteries, he returned temporarily to the family home in Neo Mylotopos. He later set out for Turkey to pursue his long-held wish.
His relatives began searching for him when they lost contact. They reported his disappearance to the police and looked for clues about his journey. According to his sister Eftychia, they found a bus ticket issued in his name. They later confirmed that he had boarded a bus bound for Turkey.
A Reported Visit to the Greek Consulate
The family’s search led to a possible clue in Constantinople. According to his relatives, they contacted the Greek Consulate there and received information about a man who resembled the missing monk.
The man reportedly arrived by taxi on July 25. He was not wearing monastic robes and asked how he could travel to Trabzon, on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. According to the family, consular staff checked his passport and gave him directions to the intercity bus station.
However, the available reports do not independently establish that the man was Joseph. The reported visit remains a possible lead as the family tries to trace his movements after his arrival in Turkey.
His sisters have also appealed publicly for information. They described their efforts on the Greek television program Fos sto Tunnel, which investigates missing-person cases.
The family says the police, Interpol and the Greek consulate have been informed. They hope investigators can establish whether Joseph reached the regions he wanted to visit and what happened after his reported appearance at the consulate.
For now, his whereabouts remain unknown. His relatives continue to seek answers and hope for news that he is safe.
A Life of Asceticism or an Unexplained Disappearance?
In the Eastern Orthodox monastic tradition, some monks embrace a life of strict asceticism, withdrawing from society to devote themselves entirely to prayer and spiritual contemplation. This can involve cutting ties with family and friends, abandoning their former way of life and avoiding contact with the outside world.
Joseph had reportedly expressed a desire to pursue such a path before leaving Greece. However, there is no evidence that his disappearance was voluntary or connected to his religious aspirations, and the possibility that other circumstances led to his disappearance cannot be ruled out.
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