Search Results

As a self prescribed night owl, waking up at 6:30am for breakfast and an 8am departure was painful. Again, I express gratitude for European’s affinity for cappuccino machines. We had a 3 hour bus ride from Kalabaka to Delphi. Along the way our bus tour guide Stavros shared a wealth of knowledge about Greece, Constantinople/Istanbul, and the history of the Ottoman Empire and Greece. I am convinced there is nothing this man does not know about church history and this part of the world. He has a doctorate in theology and we are lucky to have him as our guide.  We made a surprise stop to the monument for The Battle of Thermopylae which took place in 480 B.C. and is considered a significant event in world history. It involved a small group of Greeks, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, facing a massive Persian army commanded by King Xerxes. The Greek force consisted of 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians who were determined to defend their country's freedom. According to historian Herodotus, the Persian army was composed of around 1.7 million soldiers. When the Persians demanded that the Greeks surrender their weapons, Leonidas defiantly responded with the famous phrase "Come and get them." I’ve never seen the movie Sparta, so I wasn’t as excited about this stop as some were. I was told my Stavros that I should not see it if I’m looking for historical information.  We then continued to Delphi, an ancient archaeological site located in Greece, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. It was once considered the center of the world and was famous for its Oracle, which was consulted by ancient Greeks seeking advice and guidance. Delphi was dedicated to the god Apollo, and the sanctuary at Delphi was a prominent religious and cultural center in ancient Greece. The site of Delphi is known for its stunning natural beauty, with its location on a terraced hillside overlooking the valley below. It was believed that the location of Delphi was chosen by Zeus himself, who sent two eagles flying from opposite ends of the world, and they met at Delphi. The most important structure at Delphi is the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle resided. Pilgrims from all over Greece would travel to Delphi to seek the Oracle's wisdom and guidance. The Oracle would deliver her prophecies in a cryptic manner, often through the interpretation of the priests. Delphi was not only a religious site but also a cultural and artistic center. It was home to various monuments, treasuries, and statues dedicated by different Greek city-states. The site is also famous for its theater, which hosted various performances and festivals. The sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi housed treasuries from several Greek cities. Some of the cities that had treasuries in the sanctuary include Sikyon, Siphnos, Boeotia, Megara, Thebes, and Athenians. These treasuries were dedicated by the respective city-states and their colonies and served as small, temple-shaped buildings that housed precious votives and offerings dedicated by the cities to Apollo.  The Treasury of the Athenians is one of the best-preserved monuments at the sanctuary. The treasury is made of white marble from the island of Paros. The purpose of the treasury was to serve as a storage space for the Athenian offerings to Apollo. It is believed that it housed trophies and valuable items seized after the military victories of Athens. The treasury also served as a symbol of Athenian pride and power. On a triangular platform next to the south side of the treasury, the Athenians displayed the spoils from their victory in the Battle of Marathon. After exploring the archeological site, we had about a half an hour to have lunch/snacks before going into the museum that is right next to the site. The highlight of my day was when Stavros trusted me with the sacred tour guide flag while he got our tickets for the museum. I think this means I’m his favorite. The Delphi Archaeological Museum houses a vast collection of artifacts that were discovered at the site of Delphi and its surrounding areas. The museum was established in 1903. The museum is divided into several exhibition rooms that showcase different aspects of ancient Greek history and culture. Some of the highlights of the museum's collection include: 1. The Charioteer of Delphi: This bronze statue is one of the most famous ancient Greek sculptures and is considered a masterpiece of classical art. It is believed to have been created to commemorate a victory in the Pythian Games.  2. The Sphinx of Naxos: This colossal statue of a lion-bodied creature with a human head was originally placed as a guardian at the entrance of the Naxian Treasury in Delphi.  3. The Treasury of the Siphnians: This reconstructed treasury is known for its frieze depicting scenes from the Trojan War. It showcases the artistic and architectural skills of the ancient Greeks.  4. The Omphalos: This stone artifact, shaped like a navel, was believed to mark the center of the world in ancient Greek mythology.  5. Pottery and small artifacts: The museum also displays a wide range of pottery, jewelry, coins, and other small artifacts that offer insights into the daily life and customs of the ancient Greeks. After the museum, we checked into our hotel here in Delphi. We had two hours of free time before dinner and the option to go attend a lecture from Stavros: Greece: Between Turkey and the West. My body chose a nap before dinner. The view from this hotel is quite stunning and I enjoyed watching the sunset to close the day. -Kylee

Another long day geared up to visit Thessaloniki (thessali means region and niki means victory , region of victory), started early with a plan to visit historic churches , the tombs of the Alexander the Great at Macedonia. Thessaloniki was liberated in Oct 1912 , often referred to has ‘Mother of Israel’ due to the second home of largest number of Jews. The history states that according to Acts17:5 that Thessalonica was visited by Apostle Paul , debated in the synagogues about the religious doctrines and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ which made some of the Jews realize and welcome the truth while few were agitated and organized a mob against Jason where Paul was staying , got Paul arrested and brought to the forum where judges prosecuted while nothing against Paul was proved wrong . Later Paul left to Beroea , many Jews and non Jews welcomed the Gospel while the Jews of Thessaloniki stirred against Paul and before they came to Beroea , Paul was sent to Athens. The historical church visits of St. Demetrius and Hagia Sophia , a detailed walk thru of the churches from the 4th – 5th AD . Interesting fact about St. Demetrius when died , his body was not decomposed for a very long time and from his coffin a oily liquid was sweating from his body and it was so much that they diverted the liquid to a font like dwelling where the believers on their visit to St. Demetrius basilica took the oil and used as symbol of healing on application. The remains of the archeological site give a great reflection of roman period. Hagia Sophia ( Holy Wisdom) which was a church and later converted to a mosque during byzantine ( Ottoman) rule and later as a church museum after Thessaloniki museum provides the greater insights on the how the Epiphany of Cross was upheld with a beautiful mosaic iconography of the paradise with the cross in the south entrance and is the second largest of rotunda(circular) architecture with 75 & 125 feet in area after Pompeli of Rome. Later in the day was the visit to the excavation of the tombs of Alexandar the great , Phillip his father and few other royal personalities with the museum visit of the various historical observants .The irony of the tombs was the in tactful preservation of the structure and excavation of the valuable treasures of the times of Alexander the great. Overall the day was filled with these informational and theological evidential sites which helps one to learn and reflect. Next stop at Meteora / Kalambaka for the night rest and next day expedition to some of the monasteries. -Lax

As planned for the summer 2024 travel seminar to Turkey and Greece, we landed in Istanbul after a 10hr long flight. The journey was great but most of us had sleepless time due to the time zone differences. Soon after landing we were greeted by the tour guide and were taken directly to our first visit site, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate which was one of the first church from the Byzantine times and was a home for monks. The church has many iconographs representing Jesus Christ resurrecting Adam and Eve, Other icons of Mother Mary and John the Baptist. We also could see the relics of three prominent woman monks along with the walk of the orthodox church gazing at the beautiful iconography. Of all these icons and relics, one collection of prominence is the pillar where Jesus Christ was chained to where Jesus was punished with 39 whips during the trial. There were also icons of St. Gregory and other saints. After that we visited the Spice Bazar of Istanbul which is a historic place which currently hosted spice shops. On the drive we got to see the Galata tower and the Golden horn (it’s a horn shaped water peninsula in sea) in the busty traffic of Istanbul. Later in the evening we went on a boat ride to bosphorous viewing the historic mosques and city view along with the long rope bridges. Being tired after a long day , returned to hotel for rest and await for day 2 which has many interesting sites to visit . Stay tuned! -Lax