Istanbul’s Orthodox Christian community celebrated the Epiphany of Jesus on 6 January with a ceremony organised by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Fener: a date on which Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
Turkish media reported that the Orthodox Patriarch of Istanbul, Bartholomeos I, presided over the ceremony held at 9 am in the historic Aya Yorgi (St George) Church in the Istanbul district of Fatih to commemorate the birth and baptism of Jesus.
The ceremony then moved to the Golden Horn, where following the tradition Bartholomeos threw a cross into the cold waters of the Bosphorus and several swimmers jumped into the water to retrieve it. Among those attending the event was the current leader of Greece‘s socialist party (PASOK), Nikos Androulakis.
For the Orthodox Christian community, Epiphany marks the beginning of celebrations for the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, considered to be the moment when he revealed himself to the world as the son of God; in many cases it also remains the date of Christmas – the celebration of Jesus’ birth – among Eastern Christians, while Catholics celebrate it on 25 December. Among Eastern Churches that still follow the Julian calendar for their religious celebrations, the date is moved to 19 January due to the 13-day gap with the Gregorian calendar.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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