Hagia Sophia is at the center of a political controversy in Turkey. The conversion of the museum housed in a 6th century Christian church in Istanbul into a mosque by presidential decree sparked a big debate in the country. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s move is seen as a turning point for the Turkish president, having generated […]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of the Turkish legacy of conquest and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia during a mosque opening in the city of Zonguldak on Friday.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Istanbul on Saturday during which they discussed issues of common interest.
Archbishop Elpidophoros of America discussed the importance of the Halki Seminary and the impact of its closure in an interview with the Dwight Bashir of the United States Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF).
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias expressed his best wishes to Muslims in Greece and around the world for Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan, and will be marked from 12 to 13 May this year.
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The US State Department slammed Turkey on its record on religious freedoms citing the pressures exerted on the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the limitations on the rights of non-Muslim religious minorities in the country in its new report for 2020.
The world-famous monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece is reopening its doors to pilgrims and visitors after a months-long lockdown, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a dinner for representatives of the country’s religious minority leaders, including Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos on Wednesday evening.
Greek Foreign Ministry sources on Wednesday dismissed the accusations of a Turkish government official who claimed that the country is violating the rights of its large Muslim minority, saying the community is “flourishing.”
Turkey has once again accused Greece of violating the rights of its Muslim minority based in the north of the country.
Greeks celebrated the Resurrection of Christ differently this year, with Saturday night services culminating at 9 p.m. instead of the usual midnight, due to curfew measures.
![Worshippers wearing masks attend the vespers of Good Friday at the Holy Trinity church in Piraeus., on April 30, 2021. [Alexandros Beltes/ANA-MPA]](https://www.ekathimerini.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/good_friday_vespers_church_easter_ANA-320x200.jpg)
Worshippers lined up at churches across Greece on Orthodox Good Friday as the government kept pandemic restrictions in place through the Easter holiday while preparing to restart services for tourists.
Inspectors check travelers’ documents at Larissis train station in Athens. With a ban in place on nonessential interregional travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, police have stepped up checks at exit points including toll gates, train stations and ports ahead of the Easter weekend.
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The Holy Fire arriving to Athens from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday — the eve of Orthodox Easter — will not be welcomed with honors reserved for visiting heads of state, according to a government source, in a break with tradition.
![[Panagiotis Zamaros/ Intime News]](https://www.ekathimerini.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/easter_travelers_Piraeus_intime_1-320x200.jpg)
“Citizens are being deprived of their freedom for yet another Easter,” main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras said in a televised statement.
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Police activated a plan of intensive controls on Friday, aiming to limit travel between regions in view of Easter week and to prevent a mass exodus from major urban centers – and especially from Attica to various provincial destinations.
