Hello from Cappadochia....
Sampsounta, Giresounta, Trapezounta .... all Greek names for Samsun, Gerasun, and Trabzon .... the only reason I am saying this is that there are A LOT of churches here .... but almost none are open... here is more info on Trabzon ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabzon.
So after we left Attaturk's house the next day we visited the Monastery of Panagia Sumela...
http://www.karalahana.com/english/archive/trabzon9.html click on http://www.lahana.org/blog/Sumela%20Monastery.htm to see a picture ...
created in Byzantine times ube abandoned in 1923 after the creation of the Turkish republic ..this is from the lonely planet guide....The monastery is magical ..it clings to a sheer rock wall hight above evergreen forests and a rushing mountain stream .. There are two entrances .... we got to the bottom and one of the good things about mom and dad speaking Turkish is that we tend to get more information .... everyone is amazed at how great their language skills are ... and they call my mom's dialect sweet...
Anyway ... the local guide told us that we can hire a car to take us up further ... THANK GOD ...it is a huge climb and one we were all happy to come down from ... so we went up and only had to walk about 10-15 minutes uphill... It was a bit weird for me because we expected to see areas where we can light a candle, kiss an icon, sort of regular things we do when we visit a church ... but there are no candles and no icons except the ones -- frescoes -- on the ceilings and the sides of each area..the sad thing for us throughout this trip has been that so many people have damaged these beautiful frescoes .... dad took lots of video and I took lots of pictures that will be posted one of these days ...
After a tiring afternoon ... we came back to town only to find a bus going to Rize right next to the square ... we decided to take the bus there ...Rize is the major centre of the Laz people and they are known for their colorful traditional costumes and folk music ... we did not get to see any of this however ... so we took the bus ... just an informal survey ... not counting us ...15 women ... 8 dressed western style -- 7 -- traditional covered with a head scarf and only their faces, hands and ankles showing .... 3 of the 7 were wearing pantyhose ... it was about 98 degrees .... I do not know how they can wear all this clothing ...
If these women decide to go swimming they go in full gear ... not sure how that works either ...
Anyway, Rize is also the tea capital of Turkey ... so dad gave a couple of dollars and got one pound of tea ... hopefully we can enjoy it when we get back to Halki.
The next day we took the bus ... lots of bus transporting us on this trip ... I have to say it has been extremely reliable and fairly comfortable to travel these great distances by bus .. on the long hauls we even get a cookie, drinks, etc ...
Our first stop was a three hour trip to Ordu .... there we visited the church of the Ypapanti ...which is now the cultural center in the center of the city .... The church was whitewashed inside and a huge Turksih flag and a huge Attaturk banner hung on each side inside .... hard for me not to see any frescoes ....
The area around the church were once inhabited by Greeks .... as a matter of fact .... our friends Mary and Joanna, Kosta -- their mom came from here and Joanna thinks she lived in one of those homes ... you can so tell which homes were once Greek .... many of them are falling apart and many of them have obviously new owners ...
We also went up to the top of the area and saw a beautiful view of the city .... drank some ayran ... which is a yogurt drink we drink often here and relaxed for a bit ... we then went to a ethnographic museum which was ok ...
Then onto Samsun .... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsun
three hour ride again where we spent the night ... lots of good night life here ... by the water ...
Legend has it that the Amazons .. fierce women fighters came form this region ... lonely planet writesthat some believe that Alexander the Great may have had a child with the Amazonian queen Thalestris...
The next day we went to Sinop ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinop%2C_Turkey ... which was terrific ... a sea fishing village with lots of beaches -- sand ones .... we had a nice dip in the Black Sea ... took a get caught reading picture ... and ate delicious fresh fish .. we also had our first Raki there .... cheers to that!
From the lonely planet ... Sinop takes its name form the legend of Sinope ..daughter of the river god Asopus ....Zeus fell in love with her and in an attempt to buy her affections ...promised to grant her any wish ...Sinope who had no intention of letting herself be seduced even by Zeus, asked for eternal virginity. Outwitted Zeus gave in ... and allowed her to live out her days in happy but celibate solitude at the tip of the peninsula ...things that make you go hmmmm....
The town is worth a visit!
We only stayed one night ... we had to climb to the fourth floor to get to our room .... but otherwise it was a nice hotel. we have had good luck with hotels so far thanks to Lonely Planet ... we call that day ...thank God mom can speak Turkish .... and get a room that night ... as a matter of fact we do not have a room for tomorrow as yet ....
We left the next day -- for a heck of a trip ... From Sinop to Samsun -- 3 hours ... we got there at 3 pm and waited till 7 p.m. to take the bus to Kaiseri ... on our way to Cappadochia ... It arrived in Kaiseri at 3 a.m. and the next bus to Goreme was at 7 a.m. .... so we waited ....
We got to Goreme -- which has been the center of our tour of Cappadochia -- two full days and we head off tomorrow to go to Demre and Myra .. Demre is the site of Santa Clause ... St. Nick ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goreme
Here is a good site of Cappadocia -- with a few pictures going along ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia
I am running out of time so I will write more later .. let me just say that we have really loved this region .... we were so so tired yesterday after not sleeping ... but today at 5 a.m. mom and I ...dad stayed sleeping .... mom and I went on our first ever hot air balloon ride .... so more on this later ...check out the web site http://www.goremeballoons.com/main.htm it was truly fun ... although now at 8:30 p.m. ..... we are getting tired ...
Chat more later, Evie Sofia and Gregory
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
July 28, 2007
We are now in Sinop on the Black Sea and yesterday we enjoyed the beach ... here... this is a great town with lots of history but unfortunately we can not stay another night... we will be going back to Sampun and then on to Cappadochia on an overnight bus tonight.
The quote of the day is my dad's.... he said the other day... if you have to pay to use the bathroom..there will be toilet paper .... he of course did not say that there will also be turkish toilets involved ... all the rest stops so far .. turkish toilets ...
Yesterday we were going from Ordu to Sampsun and we went to use the bathrooms ... as I was exiting I saw the woman who cleans the bathrooms doing a needle point on her head scarf. I went out...got my mom and even took a picture of her and the scarf. She said to me that if it was done .. she would give it to me. ... how nice is that ... I thought to myself....what a wonderful talent she has and here she is cleaning bathrooms ....
anyway enough about Turkish toilets ...
We left Constantinoupoli to visit the Black Sea / Pontic area of Turkey.... many of you many not know ... but in addition to the Armenian genocide ,... there was also a Pontic genocide around the same time. These pontic peoples have Greek roots and spoke a specific dialect of Greek.... many Greeks do not understand many words. Anyway... my dad's father came from Gumushanne, Argirupoli in Greek. This village is close to the city of Trabzon which was our first stop on this leg of the trip.
We flew to Trabzon and grabbed a cab to take us around the city. We went to Aya Sofia... a beautiful Greek church which is now a museum...the thing that makes me sad is that the icons ... most of them were deliberately scratched off ... why do we us people do that ... What you find in this area is that 99 percent of all the churches have been converted either into mosques or cultural centers ... the thing that I find sort of amusing is that we have to pay to get in...
We then visited Attaturk's house there.... I tell you ... this man is EVERYWHERE in Turkey ... statues, buildings, every city, in stores... in hotels... I have never in all my travels seen one person be so so popular 70 years after his death. here is some info about him ... He was able to organize Turkey to what it is today ... changed the written language from an Arabic type to European, he modernized the country by building factories and had a pro-western view on clothing, culture, etc.
My dad says that his grandmother had a restaurant across the street from Dolmabahce Palace where he lived. Many many of the state employees would come over and eat at her place... he also said that they called her sisko madam .... big woman ... madam was called a woman who was not of Turkish muslim descent... apparently his motorcade passed infront of the store and there was even an article written about her in the newspapers in the late 30s. You are not going to believe this ... but my dad as a little kid was brought inside the palace and he says that Attaturk even tapped his head as he walked around. how cool is that... he also remembers the day his funeral processed infront of where they lived...
Enough about Ataturk .... the house that is his in Trabzon .... belonged to a Greek Pontic ship and bank owner ... Konstantinos Kaboyanidis .... unbelievable home ...he brought stone and materials from Europe and even had heat ... the first home in the area to have heat. The signs outside the house and the tour guides say that when he left, the state took over the home and then the state gave it to Attaturk ........ I am sure he did not leave on his own accord... who know what happened to him ....
I have got to go now ... There is more to write about Trazon ,Ordu, Sampun and Sinop ... I hope to add more to the story later on today or in Cappadochia.... I also hope that my parents join me on a balloon ride over Goreme .... lets see if they will.
Hope you are all enjoying the summer....Evie ,Gregory and Sofia
The quote of the day is my dad's.... he said the other day... if you have to pay to use the bathroom..there will be toilet paper .... he of course did not say that there will also be turkish toilets involved ... all the rest stops so far .. turkish toilets ...
Yesterday we were going from Ordu to Sampsun and we went to use the bathrooms ... as I was exiting I saw the woman who cleans the bathrooms doing a needle point on her head scarf. I went out...got my mom and even took a picture of her and the scarf. She said to me that if it was done .. she would give it to me. ... how nice is that ... I thought to myself....what a wonderful talent she has and here she is cleaning bathrooms ....
anyway enough about Turkish toilets ...
We left Constantinoupoli to visit the Black Sea / Pontic area of Turkey.... many of you many not know ... but in addition to the Armenian genocide ,... there was also a Pontic genocide around the same time. These pontic peoples have Greek roots and spoke a specific dialect of Greek.... many Greeks do not understand many words. Anyway... my dad's father came from Gumushanne, Argirupoli in Greek. This village is close to the city of Trabzon which was our first stop on this leg of the trip.
We flew to Trabzon and grabbed a cab to take us around the city. We went to Aya Sofia... a beautiful Greek church which is now a museum...the thing that makes me sad is that the icons ... most of them were deliberately scratched off ... why do we us people do that ... What you find in this area is that 99 percent of all the churches have been converted either into mosques or cultural centers ... the thing that I find sort of amusing is that we have to pay to get in...
We then visited Attaturk's house there.... I tell you ... this man is EVERYWHERE in Turkey ... statues, buildings, every city, in stores... in hotels... I have never in all my travels seen one person be so so popular 70 years after his death. here is some info about him ... He was able to organize Turkey to what it is today ... changed the written language from an Arabic type to European, he modernized the country by building factories and had a pro-western view on clothing, culture, etc.
My dad says that his grandmother had a restaurant across the street from Dolmabahce Palace where he lived. Many many of the state employees would come over and eat at her place... he also said that they called her sisko madam .... big woman ... madam was called a woman who was not of Turkish muslim descent... apparently his motorcade passed infront of the store and there was even an article written about her in the newspapers in the late 30s. You are not going to believe this ... but my dad as a little kid was brought inside the palace and he says that Attaturk even tapped his head as he walked around. how cool is that... he also remembers the day his funeral processed infront of where they lived...
Enough about Ataturk .... the house that is his in Trabzon .... belonged to a Greek Pontic ship and bank owner ... Konstantinos Kaboyanidis .... unbelievable home ...he brought stone and materials from Europe and even had heat ... the first home in the area to have heat. The signs outside the house and the tour guides say that when he left, the state took over the home and then the state gave it to Attaturk ........ I am sure he did not leave on his own accord... who know what happened to him ....
I have got to go now ... There is more to write about Trazon ,Ordu, Sampun and Sinop ... I hope to add more to the story later on today or in Cappadochia.... I also hope that my parents join me on a balloon ride over Goreme .... lets see if they will.
Hope you are all enjoying the summer....Evie ,Gregory and Sofia
Monday, July 23, 2007
In Istanbul
We left Boston without any problems and arrived in Istanbul where we took a taxi to Kabatas to take the ferry to Halki = Heybelida in Turkish = one of the Princes Islands. What a difference 30 years make ... When folks used to take this ferry to the islands they were mostly Greek, Armenians, Jews, and a rich Turks who had homes here. All the languages were vividly spoken ... to my surprise ... we heard a few Greek voices and were stunned ... the Greeks were well dressed and my mom asked them where they were going .... You are not going to believe this ... but our Patriarch ... Bartholomew was going to be in the same island to commemorate the 150 years of St. Nicholas. So we got home .... and tired or not ... one does not miss the opportunity to be blessed by the Patriarch ... our Patriarch is sort of like the Catholic Pope ... I of think of him as one amongst equals lets say the top archbishop. What just happened in Turkey just a couple weeks ago is that a Turkish court said that he can not keep the title Ecumenical Patriarch ... which makes him the patriarch ... the leader of all Orthodox Christians ... and instead he is the archbishop of Constantinople ... the leader of 1500 Greek Orthodox Christians .... as opposed to millions and millions or Orthodox Christians around the world... why they did this .... I do not know... but again politics is at play here... I read in one Greek newspaper that the foreign minister met with the Pope in the Vatican right after this. Proudly I say that the foreign minister ... our Condi Rice ... is a woman who was the mayor of Athens during the Olympics .... anyway I digress ...
so I put on a skirt and a nice shirt and off we went to the church. I failed to say that we had all this luggage with us and we had forgotten where the apt. was .... and did I mention that there are a lot of uphills here .. anyway ... we went to the short service ...I video taped and took pictures of our Patriach and then was blessed by him .... the church is quaint and gorgeous. there are more churches on these islands than mosques although how many Greeks are here to take care of them...
After the service we went by the seaside and enjoyed a delicious dinner of fried mussels with skorthalia (garlic sauce), kefta kabobs, ayran (my favorite yogurt drink) and a delicious salad.
I was in pain ... and took one muscle relaxant .... I still have a few left from my accident and slept till 1 p.m. the next day .... we were all very very tired.
We decided to go to the biggest island ... Pringipo in Greek Buyukada in Turkish. I have not mentioned that on these islands there are no cars except for police and gov't cars ... so people rely on their feet, bikes, and horse carriages which can be expensive.... so we knew where we were going and we went to the half way point where we took what seemed like the longest mile ever uphill to climb to St. George's monastery. Many many people climb up this hill as a tama in Greek ... like if you are really sick you go make the trip so you can heal... we went up and the view from the top is phenomenal .... we went inside ... and my mom was able to get some agiasma ... blessed water ... even though the boy that was helping said that it was under construction... we met a young Greek couple there so that was fun ... but a lot of Turks make this trip as well....they truly believe in the healing powers of St. George. The Turkish flag was flying right there on top of the church ....
We ate there at the small restaurant and the view is unbelievable .... you can see across the sea of Marmara to Istanbul .... we then went down hill ... which was a bit tricky as well....the road is cobble stone .... but my mom said that when they used to climb it was a dirt road with stones and that made it even harder. I think this may be the last time my mom and dad climbed the hill... so we got down and then on the opposite hill sits the orphanage where my dad spent at least five years. He wanted to climb up .... but my mom got in the middle and hired another horse carriage .... for 30 liras .... about 24 dollars ... but it was worth it because I am not sure that we could have made it.... another long hill... the orphanage was and still is the biggest and tallest wooden structure in Europe ....except now it is falling apart. we saw sheep and a few dogs there and a couple of Turkish folks live there....my dad told them that he lived there ...but they did not offer for him to come in....
the story goes.... my grandfather was taken in 1941 to work in some hard labor camp.... a rich Greek man paid some cash and my grandfather along with many many Greeks were let go.... except that my granfather Ignatios was sick with typhus.... so he dies and in 23 days his wife Evangelia dies .... so my father's grandmother on his mom's side now has to take care of my dad who is 7 and his brother who is 2... so my dad ends up in the orphanage and around the time he gets out my uncle goes... my dad's grandma Triantafilia was a strong strong lady.... she had a little grocery store and she would go to visit my dad often with his brother...how she went up those hills with my uncle, a few toys is beyond my comprehension...
The orphanage was built by the French in the 1899 and then was bought by the church here....in 1964 the government took over and it has been falling apart since then.... funny thing...we bought a little pamplet on the islands and it does not mention that it was a Greek Orthodox Orphanage....things that make you hmmmm...
On the other side is the monastery of Christos.... my mom spent many summers there ... she started working quite young and the church had a camp there for girls who worked ... she met some of her closest friends there .... it was fun to hear how much fun they had.... going to the beach....doing the work that needed to be done....cooking, etc...then they had to go down the hill to go to the beach .... and how they came back up .... God bless them....
So a good time was had by all ... it was fun remembering the good times they each shared before they knew each other....
We took the boat home and as if we did not have enough fun .... we could not open the door.... I made the mistake of double locking the door and it was stuck...in a Seinfeld type of episode...9:30 on Sunday night.... we need a key person....I am forgetting my English....believe it or not...my mom finds the only one on the island and he comes...charges us 80 liras.....about 60 bucks....the most money he has make in the week .... but we get in and try to rest....
July 22
We decide to go to town to figure out what we are doing for the next few days....to keep this short we are flying to Trabzon where we are looking forward in visiting the monastery of Panagia Sumela on Wednesday.... we will then along the Black Sea and then get back by air from Samsun....on Monday afternoon...come back here for a night and then we are going to take the overnight bus to Goreme to see Cappadokia....
On the way back we stopped at the first island....Proti in Greek, Kinaliada in Turkish and took a well deserved swim... these islands are wonderful.... but the beaches not so great .... this island has pebbles and let me tell you....your feet hurt by the time you are in the water.... but the cold water of the Sea of Marmara felt good ... It was 34 degrees Celcius in Instanbul today... with that let me say good night ... there is much more to say.... but I will wait till another day.
so I put on a skirt and a nice shirt and off we went to the church. I failed to say that we had all this luggage with us and we had forgotten where the apt. was .... and did I mention that there are a lot of uphills here .. anyway ... we went to the short service ...I video taped and took pictures of our Patriach and then was blessed by him .... the church is quaint and gorgeous. there are more churches on these islands than mosques although how many Greeks are here to take care of them...
After the service we went by the seaside and enjoyed a delicious dinner of fried mussels with skorthalia (garlic sauce), kefta kabobs, ayran (my favorite yogurt drink) and a delicious salad.
I was in pain ... and took one muscle relaxant .... I still have a few left from my accident and slept till 1 p.m. the next day .... we were all very very tired.
We decided to go to the biggest island ... Pringipo in Greek Buyukada in Turkish. I have not mentioned that on these islands there are no cars except for police and gov't cars ... so people rely on their feet, bikes, and horse carriages which can be expensive.... so we knew where we were going and we went to the half way point where we took what seemed like the longest mile ever uphill to climb to St. George's monastery. Many many people climb up this hill as a tama in Greek ... like if you are really sick you go make the trip so you can heal... we went up and the view from the top is phenomenal .... we went inside ... and my mom was able to get some agiasma ... blessed water ... even though the boy that was helping said that it was under construction... we met a young Greek couple there so that was fun ... but a lot of Turks make this trip as well....they truly believe in the healing powers of St. George. The Turkish flag was flying right there on top of the church ....
We ate there at the small restaurant and the view is unbelievable .... you can see across the sea of Marmara to Istanbul .... we then went down hill ... which was a bit tricky as well....the road is cobble stone .... but my mom said that when they used to climb it was a dirt road with stones and that made it even harder. I think this may be the last time my mom and dad climbed the hill... so we got down and then on the opposite hill sits the orphanage where my dad spent at least five years. He wanted to climb up .... but my mom got in the middle and hired another horse carriage .... for 30 liras .... about 24 dollars ... but it was worth it because I am not sure that we could have made it.... another long hill... the orphanage was and still is the biggest and tallest wooden structure in Europe ....except now it is falling apart. we saw sheep and a few dogs there and a couple of Turkish folks live there....my dad told them that he lived there ...but they did not offer for him to come in....
the story goes.... my grandfather was taken in 1941 to work in some hard labor camp.... a rich Greek man paid some cash and my grandfather along with many many Greeks were let go.... except that my granfather Ignatios was sick with typhus.... so he dies and in 23 days his wife Evangelia dies .... so my father's grandmother on his mom's side now has to take care of my dad who is 7 and his brother who is 2... so my dad ends up in the orphanage and around the time he gets out my uncle goes... my dad's grandma Triantafilia was a strong strong lady.... she had a little grocery store and she would go to visit my dad often with his brother...how she went up those hills with my uncle, a few toys is beyond my comprehension...
The orphanage was built by the French in the 1899 and then was bought by the church here....in 1964 the government took over and it has been falling apart since then.... funny thing...we bought a little pamplet on the islands and it does not mention that it was a Greek Orthodox Orphanage....things that make you hmmmm...
On the other side is the monastery of Christos.... my mom spent many summers there ... she started working quite young and the church had a camp there for girls who worked ... she met some of her closest friends there .... it was fun to hear how much fun they had.... going to the beach....doing the work that needed to be done....cooking, etc...then they had to go down the hill to go to the beach .... and how they came back up .... God bless them....
So a good time was had by all ... it was fun remembering the good times they each shared before they knew each other....
We took the boat home and as if we did not have enough fun .... we could not open the door.... I made the mistake of double locking the door and it was stuck...in a Seinfeld type of episode...9:30 on Sunday night.... we need a key person....I am forgetting my English....believe it or not...my mom finds the only one on the island and he comes...charges us 80 liras.....about 60 bucks....the most money he has make in the week .... but we get in and try to rest....
July 22
We decide to go to town to figure out what we are doing for the next few days....to keep this short we are flying to Trabzon where we are looking forward in visiting the monastery of Panagia Sumela on Wednesday.... we will then along the Black Sea and then get back by air from Samsun....on Monday afternoon...come back here for a night and then we are going to take the overnight bus to Goreme to see Cappadokia....
On the way back we stopped at the first island....Proti in Greek, Kinaliada in Turkish and took a well deserved swim... these islands are wonderful.... but the beaches not so great .... this island has pebbles and let me tell you....your feet hurt by the time you are in the water.... but the cold water of the Sea of Marmara felt good ... It was 34 degrees Celcius in Instanbul today... with that let me say good night ... there is much more to say.... but I will wait till another day.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
off tomorrow
We are off tomorrow to Constantinople ... my father is a bit apprehensive since there are going to be Turkish elections of all days on Sunday ... the day after we get there. We have decided to go straight to the island of Halki - Heybelada in Turkish. The good news is that my cousin Mary will be there for a week ... my dad feels good about that. The way I figure it .. we can enjoy the three of the four islands in relative peace and quiet .. God forbid that something bad happens during the elections .. I think the islands will be just fine .. then we will head to Istanbul and where ever we end up . These are very important elections not only for Turkey, but also for the European Union and the US.
Chat more from God willing Turkey next week.
Chat more from God willing Turkey next week.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Well -- here I go ... finally I am getting my summer plan in gear.
I am leaving on Saturday, July 14 and heading to Maine -- My church there - St. Demetrios - is having their annual festival and I will be helping. My friend Eleni is coming with me and will be staying in Maine till the 2oth -- at which point I head out to Constantinople ... my birthplace. I am so so excited to go to Turkey -- to see where I was born, the church in which I was baptised, the neighborhood I played in, the islands ... (Pringiponisa in Greek) Princes islands in English -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes%27_Islands --- were I went on vacation, the orphanage my dad spent his childhood, my mom's house ... where my dad met my mom ... where my mom and dad married -- my brother baptized ... my grandfather's grave in the two Greek cemeteries left in Constantinople ... more than anything else -- I am ready to listen to stories -- to the way my parents lived their everyday very normal lives being Greek Orthodox Christians in Istanbul.
When I left Konstantinoupoli in 1971 -- Istanbul was 1 million strong -- 200,000 Greeks, lets say another 100,000 Armenians and probably another 75,000 Jews (not exactly sure of these facts ... but I am probably close ... a very cosmopolitan city ... where really four distinct populations coexisted for centuries. In the 1900s -- especially after WWI -- politics took over and every decade there were days .. weeks ... there was more more strife against the Greeks ... and every decade after these events the Greek population declined to what is today 1,200 folks of Greek descent in a city of 11 MILLION!
here is what the wikipedia has on this topic ...The population of the Armenian and Greek minorities in Istanbul greatly declined beginning in the late 19th century. The city's Greek Orthodox community were exempted from the population exchange between Greece and Turkey of 1923. However, a series of special restrictions and taxes beginning in the 1930s (see, e.g., Varlık Vergisi), finally culminating in the Istanbul Pogrom of 1955, greatly increased emigration, and in 1964, all Greeks without Turkish citizenship residing in Turkey (around 100,000) were deported. Today, most of Turkey's remaining Greek and Armenian minorities live in or near Istanbul.
Enough for today ... More will be coming on this blog ... I will be leaving for Istanbul on the 20th of July and will be coming back on the 23 of August from Athens. I am not sure when I will leave Turkey to go to Greece ... but I am guessing somewhere around August 15th ... Many of you know that my dear dear uncle Iorthanis -- who was also my nouno - my godfather -- passed away this spring. We all took it hard .. but my mom ... is extremely emotional about losing her brother .. so I hope to get to Athens and visit the cemetery and hug my aunt and cousin Elias.
More to come on this blog so stay tuned.... Evie
I am leaving on Saturday, July 14 and heading to Maine -- My church there - St. Demetrios - is having their annual festival and I will be helping. My friend Eleni is coming with me and will be staying in Maine till the 2oth -- at which point I head out to Constantinople ... my birthplace. I am so so excited to go to Turkey -- to see where I was born, the church in which I was baptised, the neighborhood I played in, the islands ... (Pringiponisa in Greek) Princes islands in English -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes%27_Islands --- were I went on vacation, the orphanage my dad spent his childhood, my mom's house ... where my dad met my mom ... where my mom and dad married -- my brother baptized ... my grandfather's grave in the two Greek cemeteries left in Constantinople ... more than anything else -- I am ready to listen to stories -- to the way my parents lived their everyday very normal lives being Greek Orthodox Christians in Istanbul.
When I left Konstantinoupoli in 1971 -- Istanbul was 1 million strong -- 200,000 Greeks, lets say another 100,000 Armenians and probably another 75,000 Jews (not exactly sure of these facts ... but I am probably close ... a very cosmopolitan city ... where really four distinct populations coexisted for centuries. In the 1900s -- especially after WWI -- politics took over and every decade there were days .. weeks ... there was more more strife against the Greeks ... and every decade after these events the Greek population declined to what is today 1,200 folks of Greek descent in a city of 11 MILLION!
here is what the wikipedia has on this topic ...The population of the Armenian and Greek minorities in Istanbul greatly declined beginning in the late 19th century. The city's Greek Orthodox community were exempted from the population exchange between Greece and Turkey of 1923. However, a series of special restrictions and taxes beginning in the 1930s (see, e.g., Varlık Vergisi), finally culminating in the Istanbul Pogrom of 1955, greatly increased emigration, and in 1964, all Greeks without Turkish citizenship residing in Turkey (around 100,000) were deported. Today, most of Turkey's remaining Greek and Armenian minorities live in or near Istanbul.
Enough for today ... More will be coming on this blog ... I will be leaving for Istanbul on the 20th of July and will be coming back on the 23 of August from Athens. I am not sure when I will leave Turkey to go to Greece ... but I am guessing somewhere around August 15th ... Many of you know that my dear dear uncle Iorthanis -- who was also my nouno - my godfather -- passed away this spring. We all took it hard .. but my mom ... is extremely emotional about losing her brother .. so I hope to get to Athens and visit the cemetery and hug my aunt and cousin Elias.
More to come on this blog so stay tuned.... Evie
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