Marta Sömek

BURNED, BELLS STOLEN, COMMUNITY DIMINISHED: THE 169-YEAR HERITAGE OF DOLAPDERE

The struggle for survival of the Evangelistra Greek Orthodox Church

Originally built as a wooden structure in 1857, the Yenişehir Evangelistra Greek Orthodox Church—having faced fires, thefts, and a dwindling population—stands silently today in Dolapdere, carrying the grandeur of the past. The 169-year-old church remains standing with its restored glory, yet it is profoundly lonely in the absence of its community. Foundation President Aleksandros Meydan, who spent his childhood in the church courtyard, tells the story of the church's past and the handful of Greeks remaining in Dolapdere today.

1 February 2026

Epiphany Enthusiasm in Fener: Prayers, bells, and the cross retrieved from the sea…

The Feast of Epiphany, symbolizing the baptism of Jesus Christ, was celebrated in Istanbul with the "Cross Retrieval Ceremony from the Sea" led by the Fener Greek Patriarchate. As part of a tradition maintained for centuries, Vasilios Konstantinidis retrieved the cross thrown into the Golden Horn by Patriarch Bartholomew among 40 participants. The ceremony witnessed colorful moments with the release of white doves into the sky.

Pope Leo XIV Addresses Thousands in Public Sermon in Turkey

On the third day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV gave a sermon and celebrated Mass at the Maslak (İstanbul) Volkswagen Arena in front of thousands of people. Attendance at the sermon and Mass was high. Clergy from other Christian communities also joined the Pope on stage. Reservations for the sermon, which was a first, were filled days in advance.

29 November 2025

Historic Prayer in Iznik After 1700 Years: A Message of Unity and Peace

Twenty patriarchs and clergy gathered in Iznik after 1700 years and prayed together with Pope Leo XIV in the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. The spirit of "unity" signed in Iznik came to the fore once again after 1700 years.

28 November 2025

At the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit with the Pope: Excitement, Tears, Faith, and a Divine Moment

Pope Leo XIV's "prayer meeting" at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit - Saint Esprit became a shared expression of enthusiasm that overflowed the cathedral and centuries-old faith. Hundreds of people witnessed the historic ceremony that transformed the Pope's "First Apostolic Journey" into a divine moment, as the spirit of "unity" from the First Council of Nicaea prevailed.

28 November 2025

Daughter of Hurmüz Diril, missing for five years: Our demand for justice is an urgent necessity to be met

Şimuni Diril, a Chaldean couple believed to have disappeared in the village of Mehre in Şırnak on January 7, 2020, was found murdered by their children on March 17. Hurmüz Diril, who turns 76 today, has been missing for five years. His daughter, Gülcan Diril Üzümcü, said, "My father's age remains 71. This is murder, and my father is missing. I do not accept its normalization. As Assyrians and Chaldeans, meeting our demand for justice is not a favor, but an urgent necessity."

A first in the history of the Republic: 29 graduates from a Syriac language course

The Syriac community in Turkey, which has only one kindergarten, is unable to benefit from the right to education in their mother tongue. Thanks to the initiative of Adem Coşkun, an expert on the Syriac people and president of the Turabdin Institute, the first Syriac language course in the history of the Republic was launched in March in Midyat. Coşkun, who taught 29 students over the three-month course, stated, “The Syriac people must preserve their mother tongue.”

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