Ottoman Empire
Culture
The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki’s Iconic White Tower
Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, often use its White Tower as a point of reference when giving directions in the city.
Greece
Alexandros Ypsilantis: The Greek Hero Who Sparked the War of Independence
Before the breakout of the War of Independence, Alexandros Ypsilantis decided that the first blow against the Ottomans should be outside Greece
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.
Greece
What Do Greeks Have Against Tuesday the 13th?
Like the Anglo-Saxons consider Friday the 13th a bad luck day, Greeks have branded Tuesday the 13th as a day you'd rather stay home and avoid everything that might cause an accident.
The main reason Tuesday the 13th is not...
Greece
Evangelistria Monastery in Skiathos, The Cradle of Modern Greece
The Evangelistria Monastery on the Greek island of Skiathos holds the story of Modern Greece in the walls, hallways and courtyards.
This historical monastery was first founded in 1794 by a group of monks from Mount Athos and played a...
Europe
Ottoman Empire: Five Things You Need to Know
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On the 100th year of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire on November 1, 1922, Greek scholar Georgios Giannakopoulos looks at five things you need to know about the empire.
By Georgios Giannakopoulos
For centuries, empires were the dominant form of...
Greece
Lousios Gorge: A Hike in Arcadia, Greece
Lousios Gorge has been inhabited for centuries in Greece, mainly by hermits and monks who lived in caves. Two monasteries located near the gorge remain open to visitors: Philosophou and Prodromo.
The historian Pausanias described Lousios Gorge as the place...
Greece
Thessaloniki Marks Anniversary of Liberation From Ottomans
It was October 26, 1912 when freedom bells rang in Thessaloniki, as the Greek army liberated the city from Ottoman rule. The city was freed only twenty days after the declaration of the First Balkan War.
At the start of...
Greece
Battle of Navarino: A Milestone in the Greek War of Independence
The Battle of Navarino, one of the most important battles in Greece’s War of Independence, took place 194 years ago today, on October 20, 1827.
It was on this date that a coalition of united European powers defeated the Ottoman...
Greece
Notorious Ottoman Pirate Barbarossa Was Half Greek
The notorious pirate, Barbarossa, who eventually went on to be an Admiral in the Ottoman Navy, was surprisingly half Greek.
The pirate was extremely successful, and his many victories for the Ottomans in the 16th century helped them secure a...