TURKEY TRAVEL GUIDE
JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
The Christian religion takes its name from Jesus of Nazareth, born
2000 years ago, called Christ, meaning "the Anointed One",
one of the Messianic titles from the Books of the Old Testament. What
we know about Christ is what we find in the Gospel, that was never
meant to be a biography of Jesus, but an account of the Good News,
in Greek "Evangelion"; of his being born among us, his teaching,
his death and, in particular, his resurrection. The angel, on the
night of his birth, told the shepherds: "I bring you news of
great joy,... a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord";
Jesus lived a relatively short life, approximately 33 years. Only
during the last 3 years, he came out in public to preach the Good
News. Announcing that a new era was dawning: "The time has come,
the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good
News." he started preaching, first in Galilee and then in the
whole of Judaea and Jerusalem. His teaching was well received by the
people, but not by the establishment, both political and religious.
So the high priests, the elders and the scribes got together and decided
to have him condemned by the Roman procurator. He was crucified and
died on a cross. On the third day he rose again from the dead and
his resurrection was witnessed by many. After his ascension into heaven,
on the day of Pentecost, the apostles, who at the time of his trial
had all abandoned him, with great courage came out in public preaching
the GOOD NEWS: "Jesus the Nazarene, whom you have killed, God
raised back to life and made him Lord and Christ". This marks
the birth of the Christian Church.
ANOTOLIA THE HOLY LAND OF THE CHURCH
The Christian faith soon started to spread outside the boundaries
of Palestine, the land of Jesus. Especially after the open persecution
by the Jewish establishment against the new Christian community, considered
as a sect and a threat for the Law of Moses, that saw the stoning
to death of Stephen, the first martyr, and the beheading of James,
brother of John, first among the Apostles to lay down his life for
Christ, many Judeo-Christians fled their homeland and took refuge
among kinsmen in diaspora. Among the new Christian communities, the
one in Antioch (Antakya) was very lively and well organized. Against
this background we come to the first missionary activity of the Church,
which to the north-west of Palestine found very fertile soil in Anatolia.
PAUL OF TARSUS
One of the most oustanding pioneers of the newly established Church
was Paul of Tarsus, born of Jewish parents, a Pharisee as for the
Law, a staunch and faultless follower of the paternal traditions,
to which he was introduced by Gamaliel, one of the most famous Rabbis
in Jerusalem at that time, he persecuted with no respite those whom
he considered a threat for the Jewish religion. On the way to Damascus,
with letters from the High Priest to arrest and imprison men and women
who professed this new faith, he was struck by a heavenly light,and
falling to the ground, he heard a voice telling him: "Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting me?" A short dialogue followed, and Saul
was himself converted to the faith in Christ he had so far persecuted.
From now on, Saul, the persecutor, henceforth called Paul, became
one of the greatest preachers of the Good News, the Apostle of the
gentiles.
THE APOSTOLIC JOURNEYS OF SAINT PAUL
First Journey 4449 A.D.
After his conversion, Paul spent some time in the wilderness, in Arabia,
and then back in Damascus he started preaching the new faith. After
3 years he travelled to Jerusalem, where he met Peter and James, called
"the brother of the Lord". Back in Tarsus in Clicia, he
was called by Barnabas and introduced to the Church in Antioch. From
here, Paul set off on his first apostolic journey, which took him
to Cyprus (Selamis, Paphos), crossing by boat from Selecia and back
to Perga, Antioch in Pisidia, where, rejected by the jews, he turned
to the pagans, Iconium (Konya) and Derbe, Attalia and back by boat
to Antioch.
Second Journey5053 A.D.
Again from Antioch, taking with him Silas, a Roman converted to the
Christian faith, he headed for Galatia. Passing through Phrygia he
came to Macedonia. He preached the Good News and established Churches
in Philippi, Thessalonika and Beroea. In Athens he was invited to
address the Council of the Areopagus and while some laughed at him
when he affirmed that Christ rose up from the dead, others followed
him and became Christians. In Corinth he stayed with a Jew named Aguila
and his wife Priscilla, who were tentmakers as himself and worked
with them. Here he converted many Jews and Greeks and aroused the
jealousy of influential Jews, who succeeded to bring him before the
proconsul Gaio accusing him of breaking the law of Moses.When he refused
to put him on trial, Paul returned to Antioch by boat stopping briefly
in Ephesus and landing at Caesarea.
Third Journey5458 A.D.
After a short stay in Antioch, Paul set out again on another missionary
journey through Galatia and Phrygia encouraging and strenghtening
the Churches he had previously founded. From Corinth he passed to
Ephesus where for 3 whole years he preached Christ and instructed
those who joined the fold, both Jews and pagans, the tenets of the
New Way of the Gospel. Here he wrote some of his letters, those to
the Corinthians and the one to the Romans, the latter considered as
a systematic treatise of the theology underlying all his teaching.
After the silversmiths' riot, Paul bade farewell to the Ephesian Christians
and set out for Macedonia, then to Greece, back to Macedonia with
a stop at Assos, touching Samos and stopping at Trogyllium and then
to Miletos, where on the boat he bade farewell to the elders of the
church of Ephesos, concluding his moving address with the words: 'none
of you will see my face again', and from there to Jerusalem. Here,
the elders tried hard to have Paul killed by the mob. But the Romans
intervened and taking him into custody saved his life. While under
arrest and awaiting trial, Paul, a Roman citizen, appealed to Caesar.
Fourth Journey6061 A.D.
Two long years under arrest in Jerusalem, and finally, Paul, in chains,
could leave for Rome. Sailing in rough sea, caught up in a hurricane,
the vessel ended up shipwrecked on the island of Malta, where all
the crew were forced to pass the winter. Here too, Paul preached the
new Faith, made converts and founded a church. In the spring of the
year 60 A.D. he could reach Rome. Under house arrest for about 2 years,
here too, he could make contacts with Jews and pagans and make converts
to the faith he had embraced on the way to Damascus, when in a miraculous
way he came face to face with Jesus, the risen Lord. He was sentenced
to death and beheaded on Via Ostiense under Nero. His remains rest
in the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls, not far from the
place of the martyrdom.
SAINT PETER
Simon, a fisherman from Bethsaida; was called by Jesus together with
his brother Andrew, while washing the nets on the shore, by the lake
of Genessaret. Jesus changed his name to Peter, which means Rock,
explaining that on him he would build his church. He was appointed
the first among the twelve by the Lord and charged to feed "his
lambs and his sheep". On Pentecost, he is the one to preach to
the crowds the resurrection of the Lord and he is the first to state
that the Good News is to be preached to Jews and pagans alike. He
was imprisoned by Herod Agrippa I and miraculously delivered. He presided
over the first official meeting of the Apostles (4950 A.D.) and
visited the chuch in Antioch (Antakya) considered to be the first
See of Peter. He came to Rome, and here, as bishop of Rome, bearing
witness to Christ, he was crucified, head downwards, on the Vatican
hill under Nero around the year 67 A.D. His remains were found, after
long and meticulous excavations, under the main altar of the Vatican
Basilica. He wrote two letters to the christian churches, mainly made
up of converts from paganism, that reflect a time of trial through
which these churches were passing, emphasizing the need of fortitude
in persecution.
SAINT BARNABAS
Joseph, surnamed Barnabas "son of encouragement" by the
Apostles, was a levite from Cyprus. He might have been one of the
72 disciples of the Lord. If not the founder, he was certainly the
one who organized the church in Antioch, where the followers of Jesus
were for the first time called CHRISTIANS. He introduced Paul to the
church of Antioch and became his faithful companion in many of his
missionary endeavours. According to tradition, he was stoned by the
Jews in Salamina. His feast day falls on June 11 in both the Catholic
and Orthodox Church.
SAINT TITUS
Titus, born pagan, was converted to the Gospel by Paul during his
first journey. Together with Barnabas, he accompanied Paul to Jerusalem
where the problem of the circumcision of the pagans was discussed
and resolved. He was entrusted by Paul to collect alms for the Christian
Jews of Jerusalem, as well as his special envoy to the troubled church
in Corinth. From Paul's letter to him it is evident that he was residing
in Crete.
SAINT TIMOTHY
A faithful follower and companion of Paul, very probably he was converted
by the Apostle during his first journey. Son of a pagan father and
Jewish mother, Paul had him circumcised to facilitate his ministry
among the Jews. He accompanied Paul in the second and third journey
and was with him during the first imprisonment. Paul left him as Bishop
in Ephesus, and prisoner in Rome, asked him to reach him and keep
him company.
SAINT SILAS
Silas was a Roman citizen probably converted by Paul himself. After
parting with Barnabas, Paul chose him as his companion in his second
journey. He was arrested and imprisoned with Paul in Philippi. He
is considered as the first bishop of Corinth.
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY & SAINT JOHN IN ANATOLIA
We have no written historical evidence witnessing to the presence
of the Virgin Mary in Anotolia. The Gospel mentions Mary when narrating
the birth and childhood of Christ and, 'en passant,' only once during
the public life. John himself, in the Gospel, mentions Mary twice:
in the Cana wedding account and in that of the passion, telling us
how Christ addressed his Mother from the cross, entrusting to her
the disciple he loved and entrusting to John his Mother. According
to a very old local tradition, during the first persecution of the
Christians in Jerusalem, in the year 49 A.D., the Apostles thought
to put the Mother of the Lord in safety, and John, to whom the Lord
had entrusted his Mother, accompanied Mary to Ephesos, where she might
have lived, if not until she died, at least for some years, until
the situation in Jerusalem changed. Meryem Ana Evi, or the House of
Mother Mary is the Shrine, partly reconstructed, of the small house
where the Blessed Virgin lived during her stay on the mountain overlooking
Ephesos.
COUNCIL OF EPHESOS
The Third Ecumenical Council convened in Ephesus to clarify some theological
aspects concerning the person of Christ. The Council affirms that
"the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated
by a rational soul, became man" and hence, Mary truly became
Mother of God.
SAINT NICHOLAS (Santa Claus)
One of the most popular Saints in the Christian world, his figure
is shrouded in legends and folklore. Born in Patar, a port in the
province of Lycia, around 270 A.D., we know that he was bishop of
Myra at the time of Constantine the Great and that he took part in
the first Ecumenical Council, Nicean l in 325 A.D. His remains rested
in the church dedicated to God in his honour until 1087, when some
Italian sailors from Bari, devotees of this Patron Saint of seafarers,
succeeded in taking his relics to Bari, where they were laid them
in a Basilica built in his honour. His feast day is celebrated both
in the east and west on December 6. Greece and Russia among other
countries adopted him as their Patron Saint. Probably, the legend
that he helped a poor father to provide a decent dowry for his 3 daughters,
throwing the money through an open window, thus making it possible
for them to get married, and also because his feast day falls so very
close to Christmas, a day on which gifts are exchanged among relatives
and friends, he became associated with this tradition. In northern
Europe, Germany first, and then in Scandinavia and other countries
worldwide, he became the legendary figure of Santa Clause, who brings
presents to children on Christmas night.
THE SEVEN CHURCHES
Under this heading come the seven churches (i.e. communities)
SAINT BARBARA
Nicomedia (Iznik), Antioch (Antakya) and Heliopolis all claim to have
been her birth place, in the second half of the third century or early
fourth. Converted to the Christian faith at a very young age, her
father, Dioscorus, after trying hard to gain her back to the pagan
rites, denounced her to the prefect of the city and himself executed
the death sentence beheading her. The Passio Barbarae (the account
of her martyrdom) refers that her father was struck by lightning and
died on the spot after killing his daughter. Her feast day falls on
December 4.
SAINT PHILIP
In Hierapolis (Pamukkale), are the ruins of a monumental church, built
in the early years of the fifth century, on the martyrion of Saint
Philip. Although Eusebius, in his Historia Ecclesiastica reproduces
an exctract from a letter written to Pope Victor stating that the
Apostle Philip died here, historians do not agree whether this Philip
is the Apostle or one of the seven first deacons appointed by the
Apostles.
SAINT BLAISE
Bishop of Sebaste (Sivas) in Cappadocia, Blaise is one of the last
victims of the Roman persecution against Christians under Licinius.
He is commemorated on February 2.
SAINT GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR
Gregory is said to be son of Anak, a Parthian prince of Persian origin.
Kusev killed Anak and all his family, whom he feared as possible contender
to the throne. The little Gregory was saved from the massacre by a
Christian lady who adopted him as a son and brought him up as a Christian
in Caesarea. He became a monk and dedicated his life to spread the
Gospel.
SAINT THECLA
In Iconium (Konya), among those who embraced the Good News, through
the preaching of Saint Paul, there was a certain young girl called
Thecla. She broke up her engagement and decided to dedicate her life
to God. Her family and, in particular, her fiancee, could not accept
her conversion and, being unable to make her change her mind, they
denounced her and had her arrested. Condemned to death and miraculously
saved, Thecla went to Seleucia (Silifke) and took refuge in a cave,
where she lived until very old age. Her commemoration falls on September
23.
SAINT POLYCARP
He was born around the year 81 A.D. and was a disciple of some of
those who knew John the Apostle. Third Bishop of Smyrne, around the
year 160, he went to Rome to discuss with Pope Anicetus the date of
the celebration of Easter. He was martyred in 167 A.D., at the age
of 87 years.
SAINT JACOB FROM NISIBIS / NUSAYBIN
He was born in Nisibis, southeast of Mardin and for some years led
a monastic life. He was bishop of the city for twenty years, from
309 approximately to 338, the year of his death. Mar Yakup Church,
here his body rests, was originally built to whom Saint John, in the
Book of Revelation or Apocalypse, addresses seven letters. They are
all en the Aegean region: Ephesus (Seljuk), Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamon
(Bergama), Thyatira (Akhisar), Sardis (Sart), Philadelphia (Alasehir)
and Laodicea, off Denizli on the way to Pamukkale. Of these, the only
surviving Christian community is in Izmir.
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT (280-337 A.D.)
Constantine the Great, son of Constantius Clorus and Helena, after
defeating Licinius, transferred the capital of the whole Roman empire,
east and west, from Rome to Byzantium. He took up the reconstruction
of the city, which he wanted to be worthy to be considered "a
second Rome". He decreed that the Christian faith was the official
religion of the state and the Church after 3 long centuries was able
to come out in the open and breath freely without any fear of persecution.
He built churches dedicated to Christ under different titles and one
dedicated to Christ under different titlles and one dedicated to the
Twelve Holy Apostles, in which he wanted to be buried. He put an end
to crucifixion as a death penalty and for the first time the cross
adorned the imperial crown. He adapted the law code to the new religion
and granted many priviliges to the Church. He died in Nicomedia (Izmit)
on May 22,337 and was buried according to his will in the Apostoleion,
or the Church of the Holy Apostles.
FIRST COUNCIL OF NICAEA (IZNIK)-325 A.D.
Under Constantine the Great, while still residing in Nicomedia, the
Church celebrated the first Ecumenical Council in the city of Nicaea.
Some errors were creeping among the Christians regarding the real
identity of the person of Christ. Arius was teaching that Jesus Christ
was only a creature, who started existing when he was born. It was
felt that the purity of the faith was to be authoritatively safeguarded.
So the Council confirmed the doctrine of the Church that Christ was
"true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with
the Father". Some disciplinary canons were also enacted. And
the emperor incorporated them among the laws of the state.
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS
According to a legend, very common in the Middle-east, 7 Christian
soldiers took refuge in a cave just ouside the city walls of Ephesus,
to escape being killed during Decius' persecution They were overtaken
by a miraculous sleep and in the meantime the entrance to the cave
was walled. Some two hundred years later, the wall at the opening
of the cave was demolished. They woke up, unaware of their long lethargy.
When they walked out and went to buy something to eat, they were told
that the coins of Decius which they presented to pay the bill were
out of circulation. The reigning emperor was Theodosius II and nobody
could remember Decius. The seven sleepers were also given names: Maximian,
Malchus, Marcion, John, Denis, Serapion and Constantine. The eastern
version of the legend has them as Mekselina, Yemliha, Mernus, Saznus,
Debernus, Meslina and Kefeytatayus. Other caves said to have been
the hiding place of the seven sleepers are located in Afsin and Tarsus.
SAINT EPHRAEM
Ephraem was born in Nisibis (Nusaybin), Syria, in 306 A.D. At a very
young age he became a Christian and joined the monastic life. Later
he was ordained deacon. During the Persian occupation of Nisibi he
went to Edessa (Urfa), an important Syrian religious and cultural
centre. A good speaker and scholar, he defended in his writings and
sermons the catholic faith against some errors propogated by haeretics.
His hymns are still sung in the liturgy by the Syrian churches. He
died in Edessa and is venerated as a Doctor in both Catholic and Orthodox
churches on June 9 and January 28 respectively.
SAINT BASIL THE GREAT330c.-379
Born in Caesarea (Kayseri), in a Christian family, Basil studied in
Constantinople and Athens and gained for himself the fame of a brilliant
theologian. He actively fought the Arian heresy and upheld the unchangeable
truths and principles of the Christian faith. He is the "Father"
of monasticism. He founded monasteries and, above all, he wrote The
Rule of monastic life still in use in Orthodox monasteries. In 370
he was appointed Bishop of Caesarea. He defended the poor and did
much to help them. One of the great Fathers of the church, his feast
is held on January 2.
SAINT GREGORY NAZIANZEN 330c.- 389
Nazianzus, in Cappadocia, is the city that gave birth to Gregory.
Intimate friend of Basil from youth, he too followed the monastic
way of life. In 379 he was chosen Patriarch of Constantinople at the
height of the Arian controversy, where he stayed only for two years
handing in his resignation during the First Constantinopolitan Council
and retired in Nazianzus where he died. His learning and his power
of oratory were remarkable and gained him the title of "The Theologian".
He is commemorated on January 2, together with Saint Basil.
SAINT GREGORY OF NYSSA335c-394
Brother of Basil the Great, like him he lead a monastic life until
he was elected Bishop of Nyssa. During the Council of Constantinople
he revealed his philosophic acumen and was acclaimed as one of the
greatest exponents of Christian Orthodoxy.
SAINT HELEN
Helen was born in Drepanum, Bithinia, in the middle of the third century.
She got married to Constantius Clorus, who later divorced her for
state reasons in order to be able to succeed to Diocletian as emperor.
Out of this wedlock Constantine the Great was born, who after the
death of his father, inherited the imperial throne. He called Helena
by his side and lavishly granted her the title of "August Empress".
She distinguished herself for her deep concern for the suffering,
in particular for political prisoners and their families, the poor
and the sick. In the year 326, already over 80, she set out as a pilgrim
to the Holy Land. It was the dream of her life. There, after praying
on the places where Jesus was born, died and was buried, she ordered
that excavations be started. On the Golgotha, the cross on which Christ
died was found. She had churches built in Bethlehem, on the Mount
of The Olives, from where the risen Lord ascended into heaven, and
the Anastasis basilica enshrining the grave where the lifeless body
of Christ was laid after the crucifixion, and from where he rose up
again to life. She died very probably in Constantinople and was buried
in Rome around the year 328/30. Her feast day in the Catholic Church
is held on August 18, while for the Orthodox it is May 22, together
with that of her son Constantine the Great.
SAINT MARGARET
Born in Antioch of Pisidia in a wealthy pagan family, very probably
she embraced the Christian faith through the good example of her nanny
and decided to lead a celibate life offering her virginity to God.
Disowned by her father and denounced as a Christian by Olybrius whose
offer to have her as his wife she declined firmly, Margaret was beheaded
during the persecution of Diocletian. She is commemorated on July
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