Incredible Story of a Secret Liturgy in Hagia Sophia: Led by a Novice from Mount Athos, Turks Watched Speechless
Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter today, one of the most important holidays of Christianity. Instead of a classic historical topic, we bring you a story that connects religion and history. It's about an almost forgotten event from Constantinople, which allegedly took place on Epiphany in 1919, when Archimandrite Eleftherios Noufrakis from Crete and four Greek officers served a liturgy in Hagia Sophia. According to reports, it was the first service in that church after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, and one of the last known...
TL;DR
- Archimandrite Eleftherios Noufrakis and four Greek officers performed a liturgy in Hagia Sophia on Epiphany 1919.
- This was the first service in the church since the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
- The event occurred during the Allied occupation of Constantinople following World War I.
- The population of Constantinople in 1919 was estimated at 1.2 million, with 350,000-400,000 Greeks.
- The liturgy led to a diplomatic incident, with the Sultan complaining to the Allies, but Noufrakis was secretly commended by Prime Minister Venizelos.
- Archimandrite Noufrakis had a military background, participating in numerous battles from the Balkan Wars through World War I and the Greco-Turkish War.