Constantinople
Ancient Greece
The Giant Whale That Terrorized Constantinople
Under Byzantine (Eastern Roman) rule, the inhabitants of Constantinople faced many threats. The Avars, Sassanids, Slavs, Crusaders, and Ottomans all laid siege to the legendary capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
However, there was one threat lurking in the waters...
Greek church
Turkey Introduces Entrance Fee for Tourists Visiting Hagia Sofia
Foreign tourists entering the former Orthodox Christian cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will have to pay an entrance fee of 25 euros ($27) starting on Monday.
Turkish nationals visiting for religious worship will continue to enter for free from...
History
When the Byzantine Empire Fought the Vikings
The riches of the Byzantine Empire were coveted by many—from the Vikings in the northwest to the Arabs in the southeast. Constantinople was the Holy Grail.
The Vikings, who crossed the Baltic Sea and descended across Eastern Europe, were the...
Culture
Hagia Sophia: The Center of Greek Orthodox Faith Through the Ages
The Hagia Sophia remains the symbolic center of Greek Orthodoxy, even centuries after its fall to the Ottomans and its conversion to a mosque.
Ancient Greece
7 Cities in Turkey of Great Greek Heritage
In today’s land of Asia Minor, cradle of ancient Greek scientific and philosophical thought, visitors still find the remnants of a great past.
Greek church
Historic Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul Set to Reopen in 2024
The 130-year-old Panagia Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul is being restored and is set to reopen in 2024, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports.
Constructed in 1893 by the Greek Community of Beyoğlu, the place of worship has suffered damage...
Greek church
How Did the Byzantines Celebrate Christmas?
In the fourth century AD, the Romans abandoned the Classical pagan pantheon for Christianity. This meant swapping Saturnalia festivities for Christmas celebrations. From these early beginnings, the surviving Byzantine Empire would inherit and modify its own Christmas traditions.
As the...
Culture
Constantinople Greeks: The Cosmopolitans of Byzantium’s Capital
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Most people are aware of the song “Istanbul was Constantinople” and perhaps no better than the Greeks of Istanbul themselves.
Greek church
The Greek Orthodox Church Where People From All Faiths Make a Wish
Panagia Vefa is a Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul when on the first day of each month people of all faiths go to make a wish
Culture
Video Shows Fragments Falling From Dome of Hagia Sophia
A video from 2022 that recently came to light shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of the Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship in Constantinople, today's Istanbul.
The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises...