The fine mosaic is part of the archaeological site of Horvat El-Bira, located in the Shoham Industrial Zone and along the Israel National Trail hiking path.

“When we first came to the site, the mosaic was covered over with earth and weeds. Over the last month we have been uncovering and cleaning up the site together with the local community,” said Yair Amitzur, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Central Region Education Department, according to JNS.

“We are working here amongst a carpet of flowering anemones. One can just imagine that the artist of the flower-adorned mosaic was inspired by the surroundings,” Amitzur said.

The Byzantines constructed a church on the site, which has a Roman rural villa and agricultural processing facilities, as well as various structures for ancient people.

Photo source: CBN News
Source: basilica.ro

For many centuries, the island was benefited from the Sultan because of the prospering mastic trade that would get many profits to the Empire. Most of the inhabitants, though, were pretty reluctant to set out a revolt, fearing that they would lose their prosperity.

However, in March 1822, a troop of revolutionaries from Samos island led by Lykourgos Logothetis landed on Chios and were attracting more and more inhabitants to join the Greek Revolution. The Sultan learned about it and heard some rumors about a conspiracy of the inhabitants against the Empire. This infuriated him and he was turned against this island, that had been so benefited by the Turkish government.

In April 1822, he sent a Turkish fleet to destroy Chios and kill all the inhabitants. Indeed, the fleet landed on the island on Holy Friday, April 13th, 1822, and an incredible order of killing, rape, and plunder followed. For two weeks, the Turkish army would kill and torture people, burn villages, and set churches on fire. About 90,000 people were killed in the Massacre of Chios, mostly Greeks, 50,000 were enslaved and about 25,000 were exiled. Only 2,000 inhabitants managed to survive, hiding in caves for days or leaving the island by sea. The island was left all burnt.

This massacre shocked Europe and spread many protests. Famous artists dedicated works to this grief and the Westerns started to see the Greek Revolt in a more positive view. Eugene Delacroix, the famous French painter, got inspired by a great painting from the Massacre of Chios depicting the horrors and atrocities of the Turks. Victor Hugo wrote a poem about it. Voluntary organizations collected money to support the Greek Revolution with arms and weapons, while many Westerners came to Greece to fight against the Ottomans.

The revenge for the Massacre came a couple of months later, on June 6th, 1822, when Konstantinos Kanaris, a native of Chios who had survived, set on fire the Turkish fleet that had landed in the port of Chios town, killing 2,000 Turks and destroying all the ships there.

The historical events of August-September 1922 have been recorded in their entirety under the title “Asia Minor Catastrophe.”

The defeat of 1922 can be compared to that of 1453 and can be considered as greater because it uprooted the long-standing Greek community in the Ionic land.

The Day of National Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor by the Turkish State was established by a unanimous decision of the Greek Parliament on September 24, 1998, and is celebrated every year on September 14.

One million dead, 1.5 million refugees, who nevertheless managed to transfer the hidden beauty of Asia Minor to motherland Greece!

The facts

“In the evening of the day when the fire broke out, I had left my house, which was located on a street perpendicular to Hatzistamou Street, I went to this street to find out what was happening.

It should be noted that the fire had not yet spread to this district. There I met a group of two hundred to three hundred armed Turks. After I told them I was French, I asked them what they were looking for.

They answered me that they had instructions to blow up and burn down the houses in the neighborhood. I then tried to persuade them, but they replied: ‘It is useless, go!’ And indeed, shortly after I left my house, the incendiary bombs began to fall.” Jubert, eyewitness, a French bank clerk.

This destruction began seven days after the withdrawal of the last Greek military unit from Asia Minor and after the entry of the Turkish army, Mustafa Kemal himself and irregulars in the city.

The fire first broke out in the Armenian quarter following the explosion of the Armenian Church of Saint Nicholas, where the women and children had taken refuge after having being besieged by the Turks.

The Greeks entered the church and gave water and food to the besieged, but the most numerous Turks quickly regrouped, surrounded the church again and blew it up.

With the help of the wind favorable to the Turks (blowing against the Turkish quarter) and the gasoline with which the Turks sprinkled the houses, the fire burned the whole city, except the Muslim and Jewish quarters and lasted from 13 until September 17, 1922 (August 31 to September 4 according to the Julian calendar).

What had happened

After the collapse of the front, which was the responsibility of the then Commander of the First Army Corps, Lieutenant General Nikolaos Trikoupis, and the hasty retreat and withdrawal of the Greek expeditionary force from Afyonkarahisar (in mid-August 1922), there was the uprooting of a large part of the Christian population (Greeks and Armenians) to the coast of Asia Minor, which, according to the estimates of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, reached 250,000.

Also, in Smyrna, 15,000 Armenians who had gathered in the various institutions and houses of the Armenian Community had found refuge.

However, the incessant arrival of trains carrying military remains and refugees (estimated at 30,000 per day) to Smyrna, as well as the strong rumors of the general collapse of the front increased the intensity and concern of the Greek population, while the Greek administration for departure no longer left the slightest doubts about the subsequent development.

The response of the Greek High Commissioner Aristides Stergiadis to the former Prefect of Lesvos and Governor of Chios George Papandreou, when the latter recommended him to immediately inform the Greek population about the disaster.

Aristedes Stergiadis reportedly told Papandreou: “It would be better for them to stay here for Kemal to slaughter them because if they go to Athens they will overthrow everything.”

The last Greek military unit left on August 24/September 6. The next day, thousands of Greek and Armenian refugees who gathered in the famous waterfront “Quai” of Smyrna waited in vain for the Greek ships to transport them to the neighboring Greek islands.

However, after the strong intervention of the American Consul G. Horton, two US destroyers were sent to serve the refugees. The next day, August 26/September 8 (1922), the Greek authorities of Smyrna left. The hitherto Greek High Commissioner of Smyrna, Aristides Stergiadis, boarded an English warship for Constantinople.

The countdown for the city of Smyrna began

On Wednesday, September 13, the population had increased to 700,000. Turkish soldiers initially lit fires in the Armenian quarter, which was engulfed in flames until noon. Under the protection of their own soldiers, Europeans and Americans evacuated their nationals from Smyrna.

When it got dark the fire had spread to the waterfront, suffocatingly full of refugees. At midnight British Admiral Brock ordered lifeboats to be sent and at night all the warships in the bay were filled with 20,000 people.

On Thursday, September 14, half a million people were still on the waterfront.

The fire burned what was left and Kemal issued a decree according to which those who remained after October 1 would be deported to central Anatolia.

On Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17, thousands of Greeks and Armenians of conscript age marched inland.

On Sunday, September 24, Aza Jennings launched the large evacuation operation with ships from Greece.

On Saturday, September 30, there were less than 50,000 refugees left, and with an eight-day extension, they all left.

The flame of the day of remembrance of the Asia Minor Catastrophe will remain lit forever!

Source: Estia Neas Smyrnis

The burning of the Ionian capital is one of the many crimes against humankind and civilization committed by the Turks during their history.

The protagonist of the Asia Minor tragedy was a venerable hierarch from Triglia, Bithynia. The Metropolitan emerges from the ashes of Smyrna.

Despite the fact that he knew that he would be the first victim of the vengeful fury of the Turkish Çetes, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Smyrna refused to leave his flock. Addressing the Catholic Archbishop of Smyrna, who told him he should flee from the Ionian capital, he replied with these words:

“It is the tradition of the Greek clergy and an obligation of the good shepherd that stipulate to stay with his flock. I cannot follow you.” The end of other hierarchs in Asia Minor was equally tragic: Gregory of Kydonies, whom the Turks buried alive, and Ambrosios of Moschonisia.

On the waterfront, thousands of Smyrnaeans, mostly old men and women, are gathering on the beach of the capital of Hellenism in Asia Minor. Behind them the Turkish soldiers and the flames, in front of them the sea. No help from anyone, from nowhere. The tragedy at its peak.

There are 1.5 million refugees from Asia Minor who sought salvation by taking refuge in Greece, which they loved so much and adored for centuries.

While the dream of the people of Asia Minor was to see Greece coming close to them, they lived to tell the nightmare of refuge in 1922. They were forced to leave the land where they had shed their blood and sweat. They were forced to give up the result of their efforts and toils.

These images are to remind the generations of Greeks that the Greek community until 1922 was located on both shores of the Aegean. On the sandy beaches of Homer epic and lyrical poetry was born. It was on the shores of Asia Minor that man first created philosophy.

There, in the beautiful states of Ionia and Aeolia, the Greek craftsman made the glorious Ionian rhythm. The seven stars of Revelation are placed in the mystical east. Giorgos Seferis, Ilias Venezis, Stratis Myrivilis, Dido Sotiriou and so many others who spread the modern Greek culture come from there.

Asia Minor, Pontus, Eastern Thrace, Constantinople, Smyrna will always be the unforgettable homelands of the Greeks.

Source: Estia Neas Smirnis

For this reason, the church was named “Karanlik kilise” meaning “Dark Church” and is one of the best-preserved Byzantine monuments in Cappadocia.

The church is dedicated to the Ascension of the Saviour, like the other carved Byzantine churches throughout the valley, turning it into an open-air museum of great historical importance. The rock on which it was built was created by lava and volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Argaeon. It is cross-shaped with six domes, four columns, and three arches.

Source: Ellinon Mnimes

Now from their positions on the walls, they could see from the piles of scaling ladders and from the frenzied activity in the besieger’s camp that Turkish preparations for the final assault were complete.

At this moment, the emperor to raise the soldier’s morale gave a rousing speech:

‘Well then, my brothers and fellow soldiers, be prepared for the morning. With the grace and strength granted to you by God and with the help from the Holy Trinity, in which we have placed all our hope, let us force the enemy to depart from here in shame.’

His commanders were deeply moved and declared that they were ready to die for Christ and their homeland. The emperor then proceeded to ask them to forgive him if he had ever done them any wrong. They embraced one another and ‘no man, even if he were made of wood or stone, could have held back his tears.

The defenders then returned to their positions to face the Ottoman attack…”

(The End of Byzantium- Jonathan Harris)

Source: vema.com.au

The endgame of the siege was almost upon them. Mehmed summoned his officers and told them to prepare for one final push. A general attack by land and sea would begin in two days. They were going to push wave after wave of men at the heavily damaged central section of the walls. At some point, he said, the hammer blows would open a crack in the defensive lines and they would break into the city. The siege was about to end for them, in death or glory.

Great fires were lit along the line of the Ottoman camps that night. Mehmed’s soldiers shouted and sang around the flames. The Turkish tumult was heard within the city. Soft cries of Kyrie Eleison were raised up from the city’s churches to the night sky. Lord have mercy…”

(Ghost Empire- Richard Fidler)

Source: vema.com.au

The Australian Bureau of Statistics honored Greeks, the creators of the Olympics with a special map featuring the top suburbs in each state/territory for Greek ancestry.

There was plenty of pandemonium as the long-lost tradition came to life. King Georgios I of Greece joined a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcoming athletes from 13 nations to Athens.

The original games first took place in Olympia in 776 BC and took place every four years as a religious festival honoring Zeus. Contestants to the ancient games came from a dozen or more Greek states and gathered in Olympia from around 100 cities within the Greek empire.

The games grew from foot races to other events and included wrestling, boxing, horse and chariot racing, and included other competitions, such as the pentathlon, which was introduced in 708 BC (foot race, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling). Only men competed and races were held in the nude. To win was so great an honor that city walls would be pulled down for the winner to pass through.

The Olympics declined with the rise of the Roman Empire until the games were banned in 393 due to their pagan roots.

In 1892, Pierre de Coubertin, a French baron, came up with the idea of reviving the games. The discussion took place at the conference on international sport in Paris in June 1894, when 79 delegates from nine countries unanimously approved the proposal.

The first Modern Olympics took place on 6 April 1896 in Athens with 280 participants from 13 nations taking part in 43 events at the Panathenaic Stadium which was originally built in 330 BC and restored for the games.

The marathon was also revived with Spyridon Louis winning the first marathon, Greece’s first record in the event.

At the time Baron de Coubertin was the IOC president who guided the Olympic Games through their first difficult years when they lacked popular support.

The year 1924 marked the first truly successful Olympic Games with more than 3,000 athletes from 44 nations.

Source: neoskosmos.com

The construction of the Temple was decided and implemented by the Greek Community of Alexandria on the initiative mainly of its first President and then Consul General of Greece in Alexandria, Michael Tositsas and John IV Anastasis and Stefanos Zizinias.

Thus, with a relevant document of January 23, 1844, the late Patriarch of Alexandria, Hierotheos I, permitted to build a Temple. At the same time, the Patriarch in this document urged the faithful to contribute as much as possible.

On November 16, 1847, the foundation stone was laid on a plot of land donated to the Greek Community of Alexandria by Michael Tositsas. Patriarch Hierotheos II presided over the service.

The construction of the temple took nine years and the expenses were covered by fundraisers.

The Patriarch of Alexandria paid the required amount for the icons of the church calendar (ordered in Russia) and contributed to the donation of the ten Despotic icons of the iconostasis of the Temple.

The imposing inauguration of the Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos of the Greek Community of Alexandria took place on March 25, 1856.

The Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos is the largest Greek Orthodox church in Alexandria which still operates today.

Its current form is the result of repairs and renovations that took place at four different times until today (1892, 1926, 1930, 2002-2004).

The last renovation was done with the support of the Public Benefit Foundation “Alexandros S. Onassis” from 2002 until 2004 and the opening of the church took place on March 25, 2006, by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos Papoulias, attended the service as well.

The Hellenic Community of Alexandria, participating in the celebrations for the 200 years since the proclamation of the Greek Revolution of 1821, will illuminate the church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in the colors of the Greek Flag.

Source: ekalexandria.org

The documentary begins with a panoramic view of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Theological School of Halki, the largest Greek schools and ends at the cemetery of Şişli, whose many parts have been completely renovated, such as the Holy Chapel of Peter and Paul, the ossuary, and of course many tombs and family cemeteries.

The documentary was made on the occasion of the completion of the maintenance and restoration of forty burial monuments in the cemetery. This important project was carried out by the Community of Stavrodromi with the blessings of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The cemetery of Şişli is an open-air museum with masterpieces, honorary cenotaphs, from which the pilgrims can draw information about the history of our nation.

Source: fanarion.blogspot.com