Feb 8 - Phanar and Beyond
So much has happened in one short day, I don’t know if I can describe it all! We started out this morning traveling into Istanbul centre to visit the Phanar, which is the “headquarters” for the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew. Bartholomew is the head of the Orthodox church. We arrived and took a quick tour of their Cathedral, which is another absolutely breathtaking place of worship. I’m learning much about the design of these Orthodox churches, as in the icons on the right and left of the center screen are always, Jesus on the right; Mary on the left; the patron saint of the cathedral next to Mary. (Didn’t know that, did you?!) Me, neither.
We saw a few of the relics housed there, one which is purported to be a piece of the wooden post that Jesus was tied to as he received the 39 lashes. There were also remains of saints in golden boxes within the sanctuary areas. The icons and frescoes are either original to the 900’s or were replaced after the original building was rebuilt in the early 1600’s (the time of pilgrims in America?!) after a fire destroyed the original. They have been there for 1200 years!
Unfortunately, the plight of Christians in Turkey has not been a happy story. Suffice it to say that we are definitely in the minority here, and the Orthodox church is restricted and constricted beyond imagining.
After the quick tour, we were taken into an upstairs room and sat in an oval, in lovely chairs surrounding two “thrones.” We all stood when the Ecumenical Patriarch entered and came and greeted each of us individually. He was scheduled to spend 20 minutes with us, but he and Bishop Hanson spoke together with us for more than an hour. This small man of faith and patience is even more gentle and warm in person, and I encourage you to go find his interviews either on 60 Minutes or NPR. At the conclusion of our time, he gave each of us one of his commemorative medals that were struck by the U.S. Mint on his last visit to America for an ecology conference in New Orleans.
We then gathered elsewhere to meet with the “Metropolitans” – sort of similar to our Bishops. There were five of them, who spoke to us, then we spoke to them and had time for some very interesting conversation about the ecumenical work they are doing, and our dialogs between the Lutherans and the Orthodox worldwide. I learned so much! At one point, deep into a discussion about the Nicene Creed and some theological points that Christians have debated for centuries, the loudspeakers outside burst forth in a VERY LOUD call to prayer for the city’s Muslims. What a juxtaposition of cultures and religions.
Then it was off to lunch at a local Greek restaurant. We ate WAAY too much great food, and had to try a few Turkish delicacies, like the local drink (ask me later) and an interesting dessert that was sort of the size of an Eggo – consisting of a fine shredded wheat pancake filled with mozzarella cheese and deep fried, then served with honey. Kind of like baklava but not. Interesting. As we left the restaurant they gave us cloves to chew on as after lunch mints. Really interesting!
As the day became greyer and colder, we arrived at the Church of Chora (Countryside) which is outside the Byzantine city walls (did I mention Istanbul was once a walled city?) This church dates back to the 4th century, and we saw frescoes from the 1100’s and mosaics from the 900’s. This building is now a museum, and the artwork that remains is remarkable for its color and craftsmanship. Like many of the churches, this one was taken by the Muslims and used as a mosque for many years, and then abandoned and reorganized as a museum. Thankfully, whatever artwork they covered over with plaster has been uncovered, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. But what is there now is gorgeous. And did I mention the marble, everywhere?
Finally, on our way back to the hotel we stopped for an hour of “shopping” at the Bazaar. This one is underground and reminds me of Atlanta Underground only a whole lot older! And they like to barter with you. So we had a lot of fun. Since I was not in the market for a Turkish rug, no one hassled me too much.
And now I’m in the lobby where there is free Wi-Fi, and I need to finish for tonight. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Istanbul, and I will be sad, because as hard as it is to be a Christian here, there is something powerful about walking with these men (yes, all men) for a few days of their journey. Pray for them and all the Christians around the world who are in the minority and/or who truly are persecuted for their faith.
I have learned that we will be staying in a Vatican Retreat House for the next few days, so I don’t know what my internet access will be like. But I promise to keep writing and get it online as I can. Pray for our trip and a good witness to Rome (especially the women in collars, when meeting the Pope!) J
Blessings, Pastor Susan