2012: Greece & Turkey Study Tour

Sunday, May 6

• Travel from New Haven to Athens

Monday, May 7 | Athens

• Visit to St. George Parish, Halandri
• Presentation on Greek Orthodox church parish life with Fr. Stefanos Alexopolous
• Walking tour to St. George Chapel and St. Nikolas Cathedral
• Schola Cantorum Concert at St. George Parish
• Community Dinner at To Koutouki tou Apostoli

Tuesday, May 8 | Athens

• Walking tour of the Acropolis 
• Guided tours of the Acropolis Museum
• Evening lecture and concert by Professor Achilleas Chaldaiakis, Professor of Byzantine Musicology and Maistores Choir; University of Athens

Wednesday, May 9 | Athens

• Museum visits: Benaki Museum, Byzantine Museum, and the National Archaeological Museum
• Architecture walking tour with Fr. Stefanos
• Visit to the studio of painter George Kordis, for an iconography demonstration and talk

Thursday, May 10 | Kalambaka

• Visit to Osios Loukas monastery and crypt
• Guided tours of Delphi site and museum

Friday, May 11 | Meteora

• Visit to the monastaries of Meteora: St. Nicholas Anapausas, Rousanou/St. Barbara
• Visit to St. Stephen monastery
• Visit to Megalo Meteoro monsastery
• Vespers service at Megalo Meteoro monastery, performance by Byzantine choir Trikkis Melodi, Dimitrios Balageorgos

Saturday, May 12 | Thessaloniki

• Basilicas walking tour led by Professor Marinis–Rotunda, Agia Sofia, Agios Dimitrios
• Visit to home of Ataturk and the Turkish Consulate grounds

Sunday, May 13 | Thessaloniki

• Museum tours: Archaeological Museum and Museum of Byzantine Culture
• Free time

Monday, May 14 |Thessaloniki

• Visit and discussion with Aristotle University Faculty of Theology
• Travel to Istanbul

Tuesday, May 15 | Istanbul

• Visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate; audience with His All-Holiness Echumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
• Lunch at Spice Market in Old City
• Guided tour of Chora Church and Pammakaristos church
• Performance/talk with Hakan Talu and Sufi musicians at Galata Tekke in Istanbul

Wednesday, May 16th |Istanbul

• Guided tours in the Old City: Hippodrome, Blu Mosque, and Hagia Sophia
• Tours of Topkapi Palace, Great Palace Mosaic Museum, and Archaeological Museums
• Optional Choral performance at Istanbul Kultur University

Thursday, May 17th | Istanbul

• Visit to Istanbul Technical University
• Presentation on Turkish music by State Conservatory music faulty
• Presentation on Islamic culture, worship, and theology
• Free time to explore city
• Community dinner cruise on Bosphorus River

Friday, May 18th

• Travel from Istanbul to New Haven

From Past to Present, From West to East

Amid icons and organs, chanting and mosaics, divine liturgy and evangelical exhortations, the Institute of Sacred Music lived up to its interdisciplinary mission during this spring’s study trip to Greece and Turkey.   During the last two years of study, I have sometimes found that it is a challenge to explain to people outside of the ISM community exactly what it is that the ISM does, and yet this study tour provided the experience of living into the intersection of sacred music, sacred art, and liturgy that is at the heart of the ISM mission.

Traveling from the Acropolis in Athens, where the ancients built their temple to the goddess Athena, to the mountaintop monasteries clinging to the rocks at Meteora, where Christians sought God among the clouds, to the floating dome of the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, this year’s tour provided a richness of visual experience that was only equaled by the amazing sounds of the tour.  Yale’s Schola Cantorum’s concert at St. George’s Parish in Athens provided the community at Halandri with an experience of western sacred music that was the perfect counterpoint to the gift that we received listening to the chanting of Byzantine choirs singing in small spaces with high domed ceilings.  I close my eyes and I can still see the richly decorated churches, hear the deep tones of the chanting with its constant drone, smell the spices in the market.  I know each student came away with a unique set of impressions that will live in our memories for years to come.

A Search for God over the Millennia

As I reflect back on the Institute of Sacred Music’s study tour to Greece and Turkey, I can clearly see a thread that carried us from our first experiences in Athens atop the Acropolis all the way through to our introduction to Sema, the art of the Whirling Dervishes in Istanbul, and that thread is the search for God.

At the Acropolis, I was struck by the grandeur of the buildings erected in the fifth century B.C.E, all dedicated to the goddess Athena.  That the ancients, who lived and breathed in this part of the world almost 2,500 years ago, were searching for a way to honor their gods is evident in the timeless buildings they managed to erect without the aid of the heavy equipment that we take for granted today.  Standing next to the Parthenon at the highest point in Athens, I felt a closeness to God myself as I surveyed the city sprawling out in all directions below.  While it seems evident that Pericles sought to display the overwhelming power of the Roman Empire with his renovation of this building complex, it is still obvious, at least to me, that he chose to demonstrate that power with this magnificent tribute to the goddess that he understood to be the protector and patron of his city-state.

Evidence of a search for God continued as we visited four of the original twenty-four monasteries at Meteora, in a valley north of Athens, a valley dotted with majestic rock pinnacles that soar upward of 1300 feet in the air.  As we climbed nearly two thousand steps to visit these secluded monasteries, I could feel the devotion of those fifteenth and sixteenth century monks who hauled all the building material up to the peaks that seem completely inaccessible except by God.  Constructing a worship space that uses its own creation as the pathway to communion with God, these monastic communities chose to seek out God in the heights while in Italy their contemporaries were ushering in the arts and ideas of the Renaissance.  Looking out over the valley with the community of Kalambaka nestled far below, I experienced an awestruck wonder, one that joined my search for God with that of over six hundred years of pilgrims who made their way to the tops of these peaks.

I found the search for God among the Greek Orthodox over the centuries to be manifest in both sight and sound.  The iconographic programs in each church that we visited demonstrated the use of mosaics and fresco to tell Bible stories to congregations who often could not read. These Byzantine images provided the means for worshippers to become familiar with the lessons of the Christian faith, providing them with a pathway to know and be known by God.  Equally important in the search for God was the singing of scripture by the deep male voices of the traditional Greek Orthodox choir.  Accompanied by a constant drone, these eastern hymns are themselves a thread that extends from the second century.  As we listened to the choir sing a vespers service at Megalo Meteoro monastery, I know that I was participating in a liturgical experience that began centuries ago and still goes on everyday today.

We continued to follow this thread in our journey to Istanbul, where we had the opportunity to witness the mystical journey of the Sema ceremony.  Searching for God in the midst of spinning, the Whirling Dervishes provided me with the perfect ending point in this journey.  I could not help but imagine myself spinning with them, feeling the disconnection from one realm of reality in order to become more aware of another, more transcendent reality that is God.  The Whirling Dervishes are part of an old Islamic tradition, yet as a Christian, I felt one with them, as they whirled in their spiritual quest.

As a Master of Divinity student, I have spent the last two years in a search for God in classes, in music, in worship, and in conversation with other students.  From the ancients to the dervishes, this journey to Greece and Turkey provided all of us with a profound experience of others’ searches for God through the ages.

Essay | New Wines into Old Bottles

Leaving behind the suburbs of Athens, we filed slowly into a large open studio flooded with light, nestling into chairs, finding seats on the floor or standing in the back of the room, eventually filling every available space with our bodies. When I turned to look back across the expanse of students, a painted eye, a sketched hand emerged from between the living bodies. The space vibrated with a surreal energy as we waited for our host to arrive.

This was the iconography studio of George Kordis, a renowned writer of icons in living Athens.  Kordis has also traveled to the United States to cover the walls of Greek Orthodox churches with many images, and follows in the long tradition of Greek iconography, which reaches back to the Byzantine Empire, whose subjects and style might appear simply to copy the figures from earlier church wall paintings, such as the fifteenth and sixteenth century icons we would see in just a few days at the breathtaking site of Meteora. However, after his quiet arrival at his studio on this day, Kordis explained to us that he takes particular joy in innovating the traditional art.

Words would not support this claim alone, though: we needed a demonstration. Reaching for a long stick of charcoal, Kordis stepped toward the empty sheet of paper nailed to the wall in front of us all. He turned his back to us and began to sketch, first laying out a matrix of diagonal lines that would guide the shapes to follow, then drawing a face, a thigh, a wing, a shoulder, a second face, a hand. Slowly, the annunciation scene appeared: the angel Gabriel approaching Mary to tell her she will give birth to Christ. The scene was of course familiar to us already—and we would continue to see it again and again in churches along our journey. Kordis explained that what differentiated his version of the Annunciation from previous ones was his use of dynamic rhythm, based on the diagonal lines he used as a foundation for the drawing. I turned to look at his other sketches and paintings on the walls. I could verify a certain reverberation about the paintings, even where they depicted a lone saint simply standing erect. Kordis went on to tell us how he loved inventing new subjects for his icons, veering away from traditional ones depicting the life of Christ, and instead favoring other biblical stories, for example, the naming of the animals from Genesis.

Kordis’s interest in innovation and renovation became a theme for us throughout the trip. In Athens, we saw the reintegration of striking new architecture with the classical Parthenon in the New Acropolis Museum, and heard a lecture and concert called “Old Wine into New Bottles,” which examined traditional aspects of Byzantine chant in modern singing and transcribing practices. We saw centuries-old monasteries that preserved their architecture but remade their lives to accommodate the (relatively) new influx of tourists into their sacred space. We met a female theologian who dared to reconsider the place of women in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Kordis echoed again and again, in response to our questions, that explaining how he paints is “not so easy.” Explaining or understanding the process of innovation of tradition in general is, likewise, not so easy: the New Acropolis Museum was delayed for many years and still is not a welcome addition for some; the monks and nuns of the monasteries we visited indicated a tension in their relationship with tourists, who help support their community but also interfere with the traditionally isolated monastic life. Though the culture, the architecture, and the church of Greece and Turkey wrestle with their ancient past, it remains clear that they are not a people of the past. They live in the present, carrying their tradition with them but innovating, improvising as they go, giving new life to the forms and figures of the past.

Essay | It’s Really About Hospitality

Throughout the course of Schola Cantorum’s mini-tour and the ISM’s study trip, I was constantly amazed by the breathtaking buildings surrounding us. From the soaring columns of the Acropolis, to the unfathomable ancient beauty of Aya Irini, from the unobtrusive, spacious interior of the Hagia Sofia, to the smooth, towering mountains of Meteora, all of these sites were extremely influential in our education and perception of beauty; but what amazed me most was the hospitality shown to us in these unfamiliar locations.

Most students on this trip did not speak Greek or Turkish. It is amazing that such a large group can go on such a trip, not having studied the language. Despite our ignorance of the local language, countless shopkeepers, tour guides, students, and local residents helped us along the way. Sometimes there was monetary motivation: “You dropped something ma’am….my broken heart,” restaurateurs or shopkeepers would exclaim as we passed by their stores without stopping to spend our Turkish Lira.

Despite these sometimes pesky entrepreneurs, many locals were not competing for our attention, but helped us find our way, or exhibited some of the most selfless hospitality. For example, as we were finishing evening prayer during our last tour at the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron, we were all ready to get on the bus and go to Thessaloniki. To our surprise, we were all invited into the abbess’s private quarters and offered drinks, chocolates, and a bag of souvenirs as a parting gift. On another day, as we watched iconographer George Kordis draw a breathtaking sketch of an angel, his wife provided us all with snacks and brought around drinks for us. When Schola Cantorum finished rehearsing with the Turkish choir Rezonans and went to dinner with them, the leaders of the choir told us to mix it up and not sit with our own choirs, which promoted forming friendships among the choirs. A few organists and conductors also extended the trip and went to Hamburg, Germany, where we were part of an exchange and experienced some of the most generous, hospitable students who hosted us, sharing their apartments, food, and friendship with us.

While the beauty of the architecture, art, and the countless icons that we had the pleasure of viewing contributed to my personal understanding of artistic creativity, I will most remember the faces, meals, and hospitality shown and shared with us throughout this trip. I will remember the look of happiness on the face of the woman in the coffee shop in Kalamaria, the conversations shared with the members of Rezonans, and the generosity of the monks, students, and people surrounding us. No work of art could measure up to the beauty we encountered among these hospitable people.

Our first stop on the ISM study tour was the ancient city of Athens, the cradle of Western Civilization.  Greeted by warm sunshine and classical ruins of sparkling white stone, we spent our first two days exploring Athens–first, with a trip to St. George’s Parish in Halandri, the home parish of our visiting professor (and expert guide!) Father Stefanos Alexopoulos.   Yale Schola Cantorum performed a concert at St. George’s, and afterward we were welcomed to a delicious community dinner of traditional Greek food.  Then, early the next morning, we ascended the rocky steps of the Acropolis for a day of  tours.  Exhausted, but with hearts and minds filled with the day’s  sights and sounds, we attended a lecture and concert of Byzantine music given by the Maistores Choir at the University of Athens

Athens

Athens (Αθήνα, Athína, Ancient Greek: Ἀθῆναι, Athēnai), is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the worldʹs oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city‐state. A centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Platoʹs Academy and Aristotleʹs Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely due to the impact of its cultural and political achievements during the 5th and 4th centuries BC on the rest of the then known European continent. Today a cosmopolitan metropolis, modern Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece.

The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by a number of ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all being the Parthenon, widely considered a key landmark of early Western civilization. The city also retains a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a smaller number of remaining Ottoman monuments projecting the cityʹs long history across the centuries. Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery. Landmarks of the modern era, dating back to the establishment of Athens as the capital of the independent Greek state in 1833, include the Hellenic Parliament (19th century) and the Athens Trilogy consisting of the National Library of Greece, the Athens University and the Academy of Athens. Athens was the host city of the first modern‐day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics. Athens is home to the National Archeological Museum, featuring the worldʹs largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities, as well as the new Acropolis Museum.

See more: (Wikipedia source)

City of Halandri

The City of Halandri is a suburb of Athens (considered to be part of the “northern” suburbs) close of Mt. Penteli (known for its marble quarries – the Parthenon is built from Pentelic Marble). The city of Halandri has seen rapid growth the last 40 years and currently has around 120,000 inhabitants.

The Parish of St. George and the chapel of St. George

The parish of St. George was housed in the 17th century chapel of Saint George which functioned as the cathedral of the city, until the erection of the cathedral church of Saint Nicholaos. The foundations of the present church building were laid in 1964, reflecting the growth of Halandri and the parish. The basement of the new church served as the house of worship for the parish of St. George from 1967 to 1999. The main church was consecrated in the spring of 1999 by the late Archbishop Christodoulos.

The Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas Cathedral is located in the central square of Halandri. Its foundations were laid in the 1850s on the site of the old cemetery of Halandri. The iconography of the church took about 100 years to complete, providing us an opportunity to see different styles of iconography within the same church. The church is well‐ maintained, a great example of preserving a historical building but also bringing it up‐to‐date.

Acropolis | Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis (Gr. akros, akron, edge, extremity + polis, city, pl. acropoleis) in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat‐topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. The Acropolis bears the scars of Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras. The Acropolis complex, as has been excavated today, reflects the classical era.

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (460–430 BC). Phidias, a great Athenian sculptor, and Ictinus and Callicrates, two famous architects, were responsible for the reconstruction. During the 5th century BC, the Acropolis gained its final shape.

Important buildings within the complex of the Acropolis are the Parthenon, the Propylaia, and the Erechtheion.

Source: Wikipedia; The Acropolis Museum (Greek)

We spent a full morning in Athens on a walking tour of the city, and  explored a variety of museums in small groups–the Archeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, and the Benaki Museum.  

Archeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the worldʹs great museums. Although its original purpose was to secure all the finds from the nineteenth century excavations in and around Athens, it gradually became the central National Archaeological Museum and was enriched with finds from all over Greece. Its abundant collections, with more than 20,000 exhibits, provide a panorama of Greek civilization from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity.

The museum is housed in an imposing neoclassical building of the end of the nineteenth century, which was designed by L. Lange and remodelled by Ernst Ziller. The vast exhibition space ‐ numerous galleries on each floor accounting for a total of 8,000 square metres ‐ house five large permanent collections: The Prehistoric Collection, which includes works of the great civilizations that developped in the Aegean from the sixth millennium BC to 1050 BC (Neolithic, Cycladic, Mycenaean), and finds from the prehistoric settlement at Thera. The Sculptures Collection, which shows the development of ancient Greek sculpture from the seventh to the fifth centuries BC with unique masterpieces. The Vase and Minor Objects Collection, which contains representative works of ancient Greek pottery from the eleventh century BC to the Roman period and includes the Stathatos Collection, a corpus of minor objects of all periods. The Metallurgy Collection, with many fundamental statues, figurines and minor objects. And, finally, the only Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities Collection in Greece, with works dating from the pre‐dynastic period (5000 BC) to the Roman conquest.

Source: Archeological Musem website

Byzantine Museum

The Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens is one of the most important public institutions in Greece, established in the early 20th century (1914) in order to collect, study, preserve and exhibit the Byzantine and Post‐Byzantine cultural heritage in the Hellenic territory.

The museum collection contains an important number (approximately 30,000) of works of art such as icons, sculptures, ceramics, ecclesiastical textiles, paintings, jewelries and architectural elements (wall paintings and mosaics). The permanent exhibition is divided in two main parts: The first is devoted to Byzantium (4th ‐15thc. AD) and contains 1200 artifacts and the second entitled “From Byzantium to the modern era” presents 1500 artworks dating from the 15th to 20th century.

Source: Byzantine Museum website

Benaki Museum

The Benaki Museum ranks among the major institutions that have enriched the material assets of the Greek state. It is also the oldest museum in Greece operating as a Foundation under Private Law. The Greek Collection, housed in a neoclassical building, comprises many distinct categories totaling more than 40,000 items, illustrating the character of the Greek world through a spectacular historical panorama: from antiquity and the age of Roman domination to the medieval Byzantine period; from the fall of Constantinople (1453) and the centuries of Frankish and Ottoman occupation to the outbreak of the struggle for independence in 1821; and from the formation of the modern state of Greece (1830) down to 1922, the year in which the Asia Minor disaster took place.

Source: Benaki Musem website

Walking Tour of Church Architecture

Source (unless otherwise mentioned): National Hellenic Research Foundation  

We visited the following churches:

Illysos Basilica

Early Christian Basilica (5th century), today in ruins, was built on an Ilissos islet, in the east of the Olympiion. It is three‐aisled with a transept, a narthex and an atrium. The martyrium of Hagios Leonidis, bishop of Athens, lies in the northern wall. It is a 4th century building anterior to the basilica, which is dated to the first half of the 5th century based on the floor mosaics.

Soteira Lykodimou or “Russian” Church

The church is a domed octagon. It is best known as Russian church, since it was bought by the Russian community of Athens in the 19th century. An inscription places it around 1031. It is situated in Filellinon Street. No wall paintings are preserved, while the more recent ones are painted by Loudovikos Thirsios (1847). The high bell‐tower was added at the time the Russian community obtained it for its religious needs

Panayia Gorgoepikoos

(End of 12th century?). The church is also known as Hagios Eleutherios or the Small Metropolis. It is situated next to the southern side of the Cathedral of Athens, in Mitropoleos Square. It is a cross‐in‐square church. The monument incorporates in a unique way 90 sculptures of different eras in its external walls. It resembles an open‐ air exhibition of sculptures, which are dated to the ancient, roman, early Christian centuries, but also to the middle Byzantine period. M. Chatzidakis associated the church with the bishop of Athens, Michael Choniates. The wall paintings are dated to the 20th century.

The Cathedral of Athens

Construction of the Cathedral began on Christmas Day, 1842 with the laying of the cornerstone by King Otto and Queen Amalia. Workers used building material from 72 demolished churches to build the Cathedralʹs immense walls. Three architects and 20 years later, it was complete. On May 21, 1862, the completed Cathedral was dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God. The church incurred considerable damage in the 1999 earthquake and is still under restoration.

Inside are the tombs of two saints killed by the Ottoman Turks during the Ottoamn priod: Saint Philothei and Patriarch Gregory V. Saint Philothei was martyred in 1559. She is honored for ransoming Greek women enslaved in Ottoman Empireʹs harems. Gregory V, Patriarch of Constantinople, was hung by order of Sultan Mahmud II and his body thrown into the Bosphorus in 1821, in retaliation for the Greek uprising on March 25, leading to the Greek War of Independence. His body was rescued by Greek sailors and eventually enshrined in Athens. (Source: Wikipedia)

Kapnikarea

Dating from the middle of the 11th century, this is one of the most well‐known Byzantine churches of Athens, saved from demolition in the 1830’s because King Ludwig of Bavaria admired this church. It is situated in Ermou Street and is dated to the 11th century. It is a complex, four‐columned, cross‐in‐square church. The exonarthex extending all over the western side of the church was added in the third quarter of the 11th century. A chapel has been incorporated in the north of the church. It is dedicated to Hagia Barbara and is dated towards the end of the Turkish domination. The name may derive from the tax kapnikon. Therefore, it may be related to the founder, a tax collector, the kapnikarius. However, it could be related to the valuable textile, kamouha. The iconography of the church is also if interest, as the narthex has 19th century western style paintings, while the main church was painted in the 20th by Fotis Kontoglou, the person credited for the revival of Byzantine style iconography

St. Eirene on Aiolou Street

Its foundations were laid in 1847 and was completed in 1892 on the site of a smaller church that served as the Cathedral of Athens. Its architect was Lysandros Kaftanzoglou and its style represents an effort to combine neo‐classical and Byzantine elements, the end result being the so‐called “neo‐hellenic” style. It was recently restored.

Panagia Chrysospeliotissa

Its foundations were laid in 1863 and was completed in 1892. Built on the site of an older church, it also belongs to the “neo‐hellenic” style.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of Athens

St. Dionysios the Areopagite Roman Catholic Cathedral was built between 1853 and 1891, although services were first held in 1865. The original plans were of Leo von Klenze but Lysandros Kaftanzoglou oversaw the completion of the church. The vitraux windows were made in Munich in the 1890s

We spent an evening at the University of Athens, visiting with members of the Department of Music.  Achilleus Chaldiakis, professor of Byzantine Musicology, delivered a lecture entitled, “Old Wine, New Bottles: Traditional Chant Melodies and New Compositions,” which included a performance of Greek and Byzantine chant music.  In return, the Yale Schola Cantorum performed a piece for the choir from Greece! 

The choir “Μαΐστορες της Ψαλτικής Τέχνης” (Masters of the Art of Chanting) was founded by the Professor of Byzantine Musicology and Director of the Foundation of Byzantine Musicology, Gregorios Stathis. Their mission includes: (1) the study and presentation of byzantine and post‐byzantine composers, (2) the morphological study of the various genres of byzantine music, (3) the promotion of byzantine music in academic and artistic contexts and (4) the participation in worship. They have had over 200 concerts and recitals in Greece, Europe, Armenia, Israel and Australia.

In 2004 Gregorios Stathis stepped down as director of the choir and his student and disciple, Achilleus Chaldaiakis, professor of Byzantine Musicology and the Music Department of the University of Athens, succeeded him as director of the choir.

Source: IBYZ Music website

We spent our last afternoon in Athens visiting the studio of artist George Kordis, where he gave a fascinating demonstration of his icon painting process.   We all sat, mesmerized, as he brought figures to life with the expert sweep of a charcoal pencil.  You can see him at work on a much larger scale in the video below! 

Born in Greece in 1956, George Kordis read theology at the University of Athens.  He pursued his studies at the postgraduate level at Holy Cross Theological School in Boston, where he specialized in both theology and the aesthetics of Byzantine painting, gaining an MA in theology. In 1991 he was awarded his Doctorate in Theology at the University of Athens, while in 2003 he has appointed to the post of Lecturer at the same university. Today he is an assistant professor in Iconography (Theory and Practice) at the University of Athens.

In addition to lecturing and writing on Byzantine iconography at the academic level, George Kordis also teaches the art of icon painting.   He is a visiting professor on the summer program of Yale University (at the Institute of Sacred Music), at which his last course was entitled Glory on Earth—The Art of Icon Painting,  on the School of Fine Arts (Cluj Napoca) Rumania, School of Theology of Bucharest Rumania, Pedagogical University of Odessa Ukraine, University of South Carolina etc.

After three glorious days in Athens, we set our sights north for a day of travel– first to Hosios Loukas, and the ruins of Delphi.  After a scenic mountain drive, we spent the morning visiting with the monks who tend the centuries-old monastery, learning the history of its architecture, art, and iconography. The monastery of Hosios Loukas is situated at a scenic site on the slopes of Mount Helicon. It was founded in the early 10th century by the hermit St. Luke whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day. The Church of the Theotokos, the oldest in the complex, is the only church known with certainty to have been built in mainland Greece in the tenth century. This centralized parallelogram‐shaped building is the oldest example of the cross‐in‐square type in the country; its plan closely follows that of Lips Monastery in Constantinople. The Church of the Theotokos adjoins a larger church, the Katholikon, tentatively dated to 1011‐12.

The Katholikon is the earliest extant domed‐ octagon church. Hosios Loukas is the largest of three monasteries surviving from the Middle Byzantine period in Greece (Moni

Daphiou in Attica and Nea Moni in Chios are the other two). The Katholikon contains the best preserved complex of mosaics from the period of the Macedonian Renaissance. The main shrine of the monastery is the tomb of St. Luke, originally situated in the vault, but later placed at the juncture of the two churches.

Source: Wikipedia  

We had the opportunity to spend a day visiting a unique collection of monasteries that are literally built atop mountain peaks.  Located in central Greece, the Meteora monasteries are not only suspended in the air, they feel suspended in time.  We climbed many, many stairs to reach some of the monasteries, and at the end of the day, our group was able to attend a vespers service at the “Grand Meteora” monastery–a truly holy experience.  

ʹSuspended in the airʹ (the meaning of Meteora in Greek), these monasteries represent a unique artistic achievement and are one of the most powerful examples of the architectural transformation of a site into a place of retreat, meditation and prayer. The Meteora provide an outstanding example of the types of monastic construction which illustrate a significant stage in history, that of the 14th and 15th centuries when the eremitic ideals of early Christianity were restored to a place of honor by monastic communities.

Built under impossible conditions, with no practicable roads, permanent though precarious human habitations subsist to this day in the Meteora, but have become vulnerable under the impact of time. The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 373 m cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction.

The monasteries are built on rock pinnacles of deltaic origin, known as Meteora, which rise starkly over 400 m above the Peneas valley and the small town of Kalambaka on the Thessalian plain. Chemical analysis suggests that the pinnacles were created some 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period, emerging from the cone of a river and further transformed by earthquakes. The Meteora are enormous residual masses of sandstone and conglomerate which appeared through fluvial erosion. Seismic activity increased the number of fault lines and fissures and hewed the shapeless masses into individual sheer rock columns. Hermits and ascetics probably began settling in this extraordinary area in the 11th century. In the late 12th century a small church called the Panaghia Doupiani or Skete was built at the foot of one of these ʹheavenly columnsʹ, where monks had already taken up residence. During the fearsome time of political instability in 14th century Thessaly, monasteries were systematically built on top of the inaccessible peaks so that by the end of the 15th century there were 24 of them. They continued to flourish until the 17th century.

The area includes forested hills and river valley with riverine forests of Platanus orientalis and species such as the endemic Centaurea lactifolia (found near Koniskos village) and Centaurea kalambakensi. The nearest protected area is Trikala Aesthetic Forest (28 ha), created in 1979, which has been planted with Pinus halepensis and Cupressus sempervivens. The potential vegetation cover is described as supra‐ Mediterranean, with climax cover of Quercus and Ostrya species and Fagus sylvatica beech forest above 700 m.

Source: Unesco World Heritage Convention

Meterora Monasteries

Today, only four monasteries have monastic communities: St. Stephen, Holy Trinity, Varlaam and Great Meteoron.

The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron - the largest of the monasteries located at Meteora. It was erected in the mid‐14th century and was the subject of restoration and embellishment projects in 1483 and 1552. The Katholicon (main church), dedicated to the Transfiguration, was erected in the middle of 14th c. and 1387/88 and decorated in 1483 and 1552.

The Holy Monastery of Varlaam - the second largest monastery in the Metéora complex. It was built in 1541 and embellished in 1548. A church, dedicated to All Saints, is in the Athonite type (cross‐in‐square with dome and choirs), with spacious esonarthex (lite) is surrounded by a dome. It was built in 1541/42 and decorated in 1548, while the esonarthex was decorated in 1566. The old refectory is used as a museum while north of the church is the parekklesion of the Three Bishops, built in 1627 and decorated in 1637.

The Holy Monastery of Rousanou/St. Barbara - founded in the middle of 16th century AD and decorated in 1560.

The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas - built in the 16th century AD, is a small church. It was decorated by the Cretan painter Theophanis Strelitzas, in 1527.

The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen - built in the 16th century and decorated in 1545. This monastery rests on the plain rather than on a cliff. It was damaged by the Nazis during WWII who believed it was harboring insurgents and was abandoned. Nuns took it over and reconstructed it.

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity - built on top of the cliffs. It was built in 1475 and was remodeled many times in 1684, 1689, 1692, 1741

After our morning visit to Hosios Loukas, we hopped back on our bus and wound our way through steep and narrow mountain roads, to the famed “center of the world”: Mount Parnassus, and the ancient ruins of Delphi.  Once home to the great oracle of Delphi, we toured the sites where temples to Apollo once stood and marveled at the scenery (and history!) that surrounded us.The layout of Delphi is a unique artistic achievement. Mount Parnassus is a masterpiece where a series of monuments were built whose modular elements ‐ terraces, temples, treasuries, etc. ‐ combine to form a strong expression of the physical and moral values of a site which may be described as magical. Situated in a magnificent natural setting which is still intact, it is an outstanding example of a great Pan‐Hellenic sanctuary.

During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was worshipped in the small settlement of Delphi. The development of the sanctuary and oracle were to begin in the 8th century BC with the establishment of the cult of Apollo. Under the protection and administration of the Amphictyony, the sanctuary continued to be autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a result, increased its Pan‐Hellenic religious and political influence. The Pythian Games were reorganized, the sanctuary was enlarged, and it was enriched with fine buildings, statues, and other offerings. In the 3rd century BC it came under the domination of the Aetolians and later, in 191 BC, was conquered by the Romans. During the Roman period the site was plundered on occasions, but it was also favoured by some of the Emperors. With the spread of Christianity, the sanctuary lost its religious meaning and was closed down by Theodosius the Great.

Some of the most important monuments of the site:

• Temple of Apollo: dated to the 4th century BC, the temple was erected precisely on the remains of an earlier temple of the 6th century BC. Inside was the adyton, the centre of the Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia.
• Treasury of the Athenians: A small building in Doric order, with two columns in antis and rich relief decoration, built by the Athenians at the end of the 6th century BC to house their offerings to Apollo.
• Altar of the Chians: The large altar of the sanctuary, in front of the temple of Apollo, erected by the people of Chios in the 5th century BC, according to an inscription. The monument was made from black marble, apart from the base and cornice in white marble, resulting in an impressive colour contrast.
• Stoa of the Athenians: Built in the Ionic order, has seven fluted columns, each made from a single stone. According to an inscription cut on the stylobate, it was erected by the Athenians after 478 BC, to house the trophies taken in their naval victories over the Persians.
• Theatre: Originally built in the 4th century BC, but the visible ruins date from the Roman imperial period. The cavea had 35 rows of stone benches; the foundations of the skene are preserved on the paved orchestra. The theatre was used mostly for the theatrical performances during the great festivals.
• Stadium: Constructed in the 5th century BC and remodelled in the 2nd century AD at the expense of Herodes Atticus; at this time the stone seats and the arched monumental entrance were added. It was in this Stadium that the Pan‐Hellenic Pythian Games took place.
• Castalian Spring: The preserved remains of two monumental fountains that received the water from the spring in the ravine of the Phaedriades date to the archaic period and the Roman era. The later one is cut in the rock and has niches cut high in the cliff, which probably held the offerings to the Nymph Castalia.
• Tholos: A circular building in Doric order, built around 380 BC: its function is unknown but it must have been an important one, judging from the fine workmanship, and the high‐standard relief decoration.
• Polygonal Wall: Built after the destruction of the old temple of Apollo in 548 BC, to support the terrace on which the new temple was to be erected. The masonry is polygonal and the curved joints of the stones fit perfectly in place. Many inscriptions, mostly manumissions, are carved on the stones of the wall.

Source: Unesco World Heritage Convention

After two long, full days of bus travel, our group was grateful to have a bit of down time in the seaside city of Thessaloniki.  A bustling ancient port, and the second-largest city in modern Greece, it was the perfect place to relax at the midpoint of our trip.  We spent the weekend walking the city, taking in museums, and enjoying the sights and sunshine! 

Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη) historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second‐largest city in Greece. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally ʺco‐capitalʺ, and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa), ʺco‐reigningʺ city of the Byzantine Empire, alongside Constantinople. According to the 2011 census the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240, while the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km2 (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,006,730 inhabitants. Thessaloniki is Greeceʹs second major economic, industrial, commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe; its commercial port is also of great importance for Greece and the southeastern European hinterland. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greeceʹs cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi‐annual meeting of the Greek diaspora. In 2014 Thessaloniki will be the European Youth Capital. Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, Thessalonikiʹs history spans some 2,300 years. An important metropolis by the Roman period, Thessaloniki was the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire and a center of significance during the Ottoman era. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. Thessaloniki’s multi‐cultural identity came to an end with the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s and the annihilation of the Jewish population during the German occupation in 1943. The cityʹs main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans. In addition to its historic roots, Thessaloniki is also a very popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the worldʹs fifth‐best party city worldwide.One can get a taste of Old Thessaloniki in the Ano Poli (also called Old Town and literally the Upper Town) is the heritage listed district north of Thessaloniki’s city center that was not engulfed by the great fire of 1917 and has been declared a UNESCO heritage site. It consists of Thessaloniki’s most traditional part of the city, still featuring small stone paved streets, old squares and homes featuring old Greek and Ottoman architecture. Ano Poli also, is the highest point in Thessaloniki and as such, is the location of the city’s acropolis, its Byzantine fort, the Heptapyrgion and the cityʹs remaining walls, with many of its additional Ottoman and Byzantine structures still standing.

Souce:  Wikipedia

Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki houses artifacts from the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, mostly from the city of Thessaloniki but also from the region of Macedonia in general. The museum is housed in a building designed by architect Patroklos Karantinos and is an example of the modern architectural trends of Greece. Built in 1962, the museum had a new wing added to it in 1980, in which the findings from Vergina were displayed, up until 1997. In 2001 and 2004, the museum was extensively restored and its permanent exhibits reorganized. The central rooms hold exhibits from the archeological excavations conducted in Thessaloninki and the broader area of Macedonia. The new wing hosts two exhibitions: The Gold of Macedon, with artifacts from the cemeteries of Sindos, Agia Paraskevi, Nea Filadelfia, Makrygialos, Derveni, Lete, Serres, and Evropos; and The Thessaloniki Area in Prehistory, with material from prehistoric settlements, dating from the Neolithic to the Early and Late Bronze Age.

Source: Wikipedia 

See also the museum website

Museum of Byzantine Culture was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2005, following the concurrent recommendation of the Councilʹ s Committee for Culture, Science and Education. The Museum of Byzantine Culture is housed in a modern building 11.500 m2 wide, of which 3.000 m2 comprise the permanent exhibition area. It also includes spacey and well‐organized conservation laboratories and storerooms, a small amphitheatre, a café‐restaurant and a separate wing for temporary exhibitions, a space of 300 m2 The building was constructed between the years 1989‐1993 on the plans of the architect Kyriakos Krokos (1941‐1998). The building, severe and abstemious, made with exceptionally combined modern materials and characterised by construction of high quality, joins together elements of modernism and of the greek architectural heritage. Among the best works of public architecture of the last decades in Greece, it has been received a special notion by the international committee of the competition Awards 2000 of the Hellenic Institute for Architecture. In 2000 the Ministry of Culture has declared it a historically listed monument, and a work of art.

Source: Museum Website

Our first day in Istanbul started with a visit to the famed Chora monastery, one of the most important buildings in Byzantine Constantinople.  We stopped for lunch at the Grand Bazaar, home to a vast array of spices, textiles, and of course, Turkish Delight!  After an afternoon visit to the Pammkaristos, first home of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we explored Istanbul on our own that evening.

Chora Church

Orginally the main church of the Chora monastery, the building now known as the Kariye Museum, or traditionally as the Kariye Camii (Mosque), represents one of the oldest and most important religious foundations of Byzantine Constantinople. The present church dates from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. The present broad apse belongs to the early twelfth‐century phase. The Chora monastery was either damaged or allowed to deteriorate during the Latin Occupation of Constantinople (1204‐1261), and by the end of the thirteenth century, it was in poor condition. Some minor repairs may have occurred in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. The statesman and scholar Theodore Metochites undertook the restoration and renovation of the Chora around 1316. His portrait survives above the entrance to the naos, where he is shown offering the church to Christ, and his monograms appear throughout the building. His work was completed by 1321.

When the Ottoman Turks conquered the city in 1453, the monastery was one of the first Christian sanctuaries to fall. The church was converted to a mosque sometime between 1495 and 1511 by Hadim Ali Pasa. A mihrab was added in the main apse, and the belfry was removed and replaced by a minaret. The new name “Kariye” is, in fact, the Arabic translation of the name Chora, meaning “village” or “countryside.”

In 1945, the building was secularized; it became a museum and was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ayasofya Museum. In 1947, the Byzantine Institute of America, and subsequently the Dumbarton Oaks Field Committee, undertook the cleaning and consolidation of the mosaics and frescoes, as well as limited excavations and the restoration of the building. The work lasted for twelve years, extending throughout the 1950s. The project resulted in a magnificent three‐volume study by Professor Paul A. Underwood, published in 1966. A separate volume of studies, edited by Underwood, was published in 1975. This was followed by a study of the sculptural decoration by the Danish scholar Øystein Hjort, which appeared in the Dumbarton Oaks Papers in 1979. A monograph on the architecture by Robert Ousterhout was published by Dumbarton Oaks in 1987, completing the documentation of this important building and its art work.

[Text by Robert Ousterhout from abbreviated by Alexopoulos]

Pammakaristos

The Pammakaristos was either built or renovated to a large extent by Michael Tarchaniotes Glabas, protostrator of Andronicus II Palaeologus (1282‐1328). Many historians and archaeologists, however, believe that the original structure was older and some attribute it to Michael VII Ducas (1071‐1078).

Historical evidence reveals the importance of this religious centre, which housed the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1456 to 1587.The Pammakaristos remained in the hands of the Orthodox Greeks even after the Conquest. It is believed that the famous meeting between the Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius and Mehmet 11 the Conqueror and their discussion on questions of religion, took place here. When, three years after the Fall of Constantinople, the Patriarchate was shifted from the Holy Apostles to the Pammakaristos (1456), the holy relics and other valuable possessions were transferred to the new see. In 1587, Sultan Murad III (1574‐1592), converted the church of St. Mary Pammakaristos into a mosque and called it Fethiye (= Victory) Camii, to commemorate the conquest of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Though severely damaged, the surviving mosaics reflect the brilliance and high quality the remarkable style and technique, the classicizing trends, and in general the culture and spirit of the Palaeologan Revival.

Source: Museum Website

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ʺCovered Bazaarʺ; Büyük Çarşı, meaning ʺGrand Bazaarʺ) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. The construction of the future Grand Bazaarʹs core started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Sultan Mehmet II had an edifice erected devoted to the trading of textiles.

One of our most humbling and reverent mornings in Istantul happened because  Father Stefanos was kind enough to arrange an audience with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the highest see of the worldwide Orthodox Church.  We arrived at the Patriarchate, and were escorted to the richly furnished visiting room lined with portraits of former Patriarchs.  The Ecumenical Patriarch came to greet us, spoke words of blessing upon us, and gave us each a small gold cross as a keepsake.  We toured the Patriarchate, in awe of its worship spaces and beautiful gardens, and the sense of holiness that pervaded the grounds and affected us all.  

The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the highest see and holiest center of the Orthodox Christian Church throughout the world. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the honorary and spiritual centre of the Orthodox Church throughout the world. The Ecumenical Patriarch presides in historical honor among all Orthodox Primates, as ʺfirst among equals.ʺ He also traditionally serves as the focal point and spokesman for Orthodox Church unity, convening inter‐Orthodox councils, as well as inter‐Church and inter‐ faith dialogues. It is an institution with a history spanning seventeen centuries, during which it retained its see in Constantinople (present‐day Istanbul). It constitutes the center of all the local Orthodox Churches, heading these not by administration but by virtue of its primacy in the ministry of pan‐Orthodox unity and the coordination of the activity of the whole of Orthodoxy.

The function of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as center par excellence of the life of the entire Orthodox world emanates from its centuries‐old ministry in the witness, protection and outreach of the Orthodox faith. The Ecumenical Patriarchate therefore possesses a supra‐national and supra‐regional character. From this lofty consciousness and responsibility for the people of Christ, regardless of race and language, were born the new regional Churches of the East, from the Caspian to the Baltic, and from the Balkans to Central Europe. This activity today extends to the Far East, to America and Australia.

The Ecumenical Patriarch

His All Holiness, BARTHOLOMEW, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor of the 2,000 year‐old local Christian Church founded by St. Andrew the Apostle. As a citizen of Turkey, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s personal experience provides him a unique perspective on the continuing dialogue among the Christian, Islamic and Jewish worlds. He works to advance reconciliation among Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox communities, such as in former Yugoslavia, and is supportive of peace building measures to diffuse global conflict in the region.

In his person, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew represents the memory of the life and sacrifice of the martyred Orthodox Church of the 20th Century. After ascending the Ecumenical Throne in 1991, he journeyed throughout the Orthodox and non‐Orthodox world bringing a message of restoration and renewed hope. He has presided over the restoration of the Autocephalous Church of Albania and Autonomous Church of Estonia, and as been a constant source of spiritual and moral support to those traditionally Orthodox countries emerging from decades of wide scale religious persecution behind the Iron Curtain. The Ecumenical Patriarch is a living witness to the world of Orthodoxy’s painful and redemptive struggle for religious freedom and to the innate dignity of humankind.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew strives earnestly to prepare the Orthodox Church for its continuing role as a mediator between East and West. In his capacity as Ecumenical Patriarch, he has three times convened the leaders of the self‐governing Orthodox Churches around the globe, challenging them to vigorously pursue solutions to the challenges of the new millennium, for example, by categorically condemning nationalism and fanaticism. Together with His All Holiness Pope John Paul II, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has supported progress toward the reconciliation of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian Churches.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s roles as the primary spiritual leader of the Orthodox Christian world and a transnational figure of global significance continue to become more vital each day. He co‐sponsored the Peace and Tolerance Conferences in Istanbul (1994 and 2006) bringing together Christians, Muslims and Jews. Most noted are his efforts in environmental awareness, which have earned him the title “Green Patriarch.” He has organized environmental educational seminars in co‐sponsorship with His Royal Highness Prince Philip, and international, scientific environmental symposia on Patmos (1995) and around the Black Sea (1997), along the Danube River (1999), on the Adriatic Sea (2002), in the Baltic Sea (2003), on the Amazon River (2006), in the Arctic 2007), and on the Mississippi River (2009). These endeavours, together with his inspiring efforts on behalf of religious freedom and human rights, rank Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew among the world’s foremost apostles of love, peace and reconciliation for humanity, a reason for which he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress.

The Ecumenical Patriarch holds an honorary doctorate from Yale University.

Source: Ecumenical Patriarch Website 
(you are encouraged to explore the site for more information)

Interview of His All Holiness on 60 minutes

During our second evening in Istanbul, we were treated to a private concert of Turkish music and a traditional  Sema “whirling ceremony”  by Hakan Talu and his Sufi musicians.  Seated in the round at the Galata Mevlivihane in Istanbul, we were mesmerized by the music, ritual, and dance.  

We also had an opportunity to visit with  musicians and students from the Istanbul Technical University Music Conservatory, who gave a lecture/demonstration of Turkish music and its musical instruments. 

Hakan Talu and Sufi Musicians

Hakan Talu was born in 1960 in Istanbul. He has graduated from the Istanbul Technical University Government Conservatorium Turkish Music Department and completed his Master’s degree in the Social Sciences at the same university. He first participated in a whirling ceremony at the Galata Mevlevi Lodge in 1980. Since then he has participated in many whirling ceremonies, Turkish Tasavvuf and classical music concerts as well assisting album productions as a musician. He is the artistic director of the Istanbul Music and Sema Group as well as a musician. Hakan Talu has been co‐director of the Mevlana Culture and Art Foundation, which has done four national tours as The Whirling Dervishes of Turkey. 
Source: Golden Horn Website