The Journey of the Relics of Saint Petka: From Constantinople to Iași in Romania
Saint Petka, or Venerable Mother Paraskeva (in Greek 'paraskevi' means Friday), was a Christian, Byzantine saint and miracle worker from the 11th century. The day of her commemoration, Petkovdan, is celebrated every October 27 and is the sixth most popular patron saint's day in Serbia.
TL;DR
- Saint Petka was an 11th-century Byzantine Christian saint and miracle worker.
- Her relics were discovered after she died in Epivates and were initially placed in Constantinople.
- During the Crusades, the relics were moved to Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and later to Vidin.
- Serbian noblewomen, including Princess Milica, obtained the relics from Sultan Bayezid I and brought them to Kruševac, then Belgrade.
- The relics were taken from Belgrade to Constantinople after its conquest by Suleiman the Magnificent.
- In the 17th century, the relics were transferred to Iași, Romania, by Prince Vasile Lupu.
- Despite a fire in 1888, the relics remained miraculously unharmed and are now housed in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iași.