The Greek Orthodox Churches in Istanbul before the Tanzimat Period
14/1/2010
The Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul is proud to present a new photographic exhibition at the Sismanoglio Megaro (İstiklal cad. No 60), from 19 January until 21 February (opening hours: Mon-Fri: 4 pm-8 pm and Sat-Sun: Noon-8 pm).
This exhibition highlights the cultural wealth of Istanbul and, in particular, its Greek Orthodox heritage with which it aims at familiarising the Turkish public and all those interested in the history of the city. It presents the fifty-three (53) Greek Orthodox churches that functioned in the Ottoman capital in the centuries before the Tanzimat reform period (mid-19th c.) and the ensuing rise in the construction of churches that reflected new styles and techniques.
Scattered all over the Old City, Pera and the shores of the Bosphorus and, often, cowed behind walls due to the sprawl of urban development, these churches form a standing link between Byzantium and present day Istanbul and attest to the importance of the city as a major centre of cultures and civilisations. This photographic exhibition also presents general information about the historical conditions that prevailed in the pre-Tanzimat Ottoman period, the travelers and researchers who documented these Greek Orthodox churches and a description of the elements and liturgical spaces of the church buildings.
With information provided in five languages (Turkish, Greek, English, Russian and Romanian), this exhibition at the Sismanoglio Megaro is the first of the year 2010, during which Istanbul has been designated Cultural Capital of Europe. The curator of this exhibition is the Byzantinist, Dr. Zafer Karaca, whose book on The Greek Orthodox Churches in Istanbul before the Tanzimat was published by Yapı Kredi Yayınları in 2008. His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will inaugurate the exhibition at its opening ceremony, which will be held on Monday, 18 January 2010 at 7:00 pm.
