Theofania and the Golden Horn

Theofania (Epiphany) is a Greek Orthodox holiday, and public holiday in Greece, falling on January 6th.

A commemoration of the baptism of Jesus and the end of the twelve days of Christmas, it is celebrated annually in many Greek cities when a priest throws a large cross into the water of the port, and men dive in after it to be the first to retrieve the blessed cross.

It is no surprise, then, that this religious ceremony is also celebrated in Istanbul, an old Greek city and the home of Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians. He is the current head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in the Church of St. George, located in the Fener district. Yesterday on the shores of the Golden Horn near the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarch Bartholomew threw the ceremonial cross into the waters of the Bosphorus as six men dove in to retrieve it.

Over the last few decades many events have interrupted this annual tradition in Istanbul, such as the Turkish-Greek dispute of Cyprus in the 70's, and terrorism and pollution in the 80's. It was recently reinstated in 2003, yet not without opposition from nationalist politicians, groups and individuals. According to yesterday's article in the Turkish Daily News, luckily this year marked the first year the celebration was not protested by nationalists. As a leader of MHP - the ultra-nationalist party of Turkey - was quoted as saying in a 2007 article in Radikal regarding last year's ceremony,

The Bishop in Istanbul throws a cross into the Golden Horn, and the others try to contribute to this tradition by retrieving the cross. But the idealists are travelling around the Golden Horn in their boats giving a message. By taking the cross out of the Golden Horn, Istanbul becomes Constantinople. (my translation, take lightly)

In a group of protesters to the 2007 event, many yelled "Patrik defol!" (F*** off, Patriarch, loosely translated), and one dressed up as Fatih Mehmet II, the man who conquered the Greek city of Constantinople.

I am growing increasingly interested in the Greek history of the city, and will be writing more posts in the coming months about various neighbourhoods and influences. Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or corrections.

NOTE: The picture shown here is not mine, and it was taken in Greece, not Istanbul. To see this picture please visit the photostream of Poulheria




References:

'Ta Fota' celebrated along Istanbul's shores
Bir haç, bin polis (One Cross, a Thousand Police)
To see some beautiful photos from a ceremony in Greece, visit the photostream of Flickr user "spirofoto".