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Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

Dioceses established in the 1st centuryEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Coat of Arms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople (St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul)
Coat of Arms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople (St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul)

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Greek: Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, romanized: Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, IPA: [ikumeniˈkon patriarˈçion konstandinuˈpoleos]; Latin: Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constantinopolitanus; Turkish: Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi, İstanbul Ekümenik Patrikhanesi, "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate") is one of the fourteen to sixteen autocephalous churches (or "jurisdictions") that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, currently Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople. Because of its historical location as the capital of the former Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and its role as the mother church of most modern Orthodox churches, Constantinople holds a special place of honor within Orthodoxy and serves as the seat for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who enjoys the status of primus inter pares (first among equals) among the world's Eastern Orthodox prelates and is regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians.The Ecumenical Patriarchate promotes the expansion of the Christian faith and Eastern Orthodox doctrine, and the Ecumenical Patriarchs are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of Orthodox Christian traditions. Prominent issues for the Ecumenical Patriarchate's policy in the 21st century include the safety of the believers in the Middle East, reconciliation of the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, and the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, which was closed down by the Turkish authorities in 1971.

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Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Dr. Sadik Ahmet Caddesi, Istanbul

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.029166666667 ° E 28.951666666667 °
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Address

Aya Georgi Katedrali

Dr. Sadik Ahmet Caddesi
34083 Istanbul
Türkiye
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Coat of Arms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople (St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul)
Coat of Arms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Constantinople (St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul)
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St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul
St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul

The Cathedral Church of St. George (Greek: Καθεδρικός ναός του Αγίου Γεωργίου; Turkish: Aya Yorgi Kilisesi) is the principal Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and, as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire until 1453, and of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. Since about 1600, it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople whose leader is regarded as the primus inter pares (first among equals) in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and as the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.The church, dedicated to the Christian martyr Saint George, is the site of numerous important services, and is where the patriarch will consecrate the chrism (myron) on Holy and Great Thursday, when needed. For this reason, the church is also known as the "Patriarchal Church of the Great Myrrh". At one time, the patriarch would consecrate all of the chrism used throughout the entire Orthodox Church. However, now the heads of most of the autocephalous churches sanctify their own myrrh. The church is located in the Fener (Phanar) district of Istanbul, north-west of the historic centre of old Constantinople. (Its address is Fener Rum Patrikhanesi, Sadrazam Ali Pasa Cadesi, Fener 34220, Istanbul.) It is a relatively small church, especially so considering its status in world Christianity; this, however, can be explained by the Islamic laws of the Ottoman Empire that governed the rights of dhimmis, which stipulate that all non-Islamic buildings must be smaller and humbler than corresponding Islamic buildings such as mosques: prior to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church of the Patriarchate was the Hagia Sophia (also known as the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom). The church is open to the public from 8.30 am to 4 pm, but strict security screening is in place, as a measure against the possibility of an attack from Islamic extremist groups. It is visited by a stream of pilgrims from Greece and other Orthodox countries. Behind the church are the offices of the Patriarchate and the Patriarchate Library. The church, which was part of a convent or monastery before becoming the seat of the Patriarch, is outwardly unimpressive, but its interior is lavishly decorated.

Fener
Fener

Fener (Turkish pronunciation: [feˈnæɾ]; historically in Greek: Φανάρι, Phanári; in English also: Phanar) is a quarter midway up the Golden Horn within the district of Fatih in Istanbul, Turkey. The streets in the area are full of historic wooden mansions, churches, and synagogues dating from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. The wooden mansions between the main axis and the shore were often used for importing wood from Pontus or the Black Sea area. Their picturesque facades were largely destroyed due to street widening requirements in the 1930s and later. The area's name is a Turkish transliteration of the original word "fanarion" (Medieval Greek: Φανάριον) (a lighting lantern, a streetlight, a lightpost with a light lantern). It was so called for a column topped with a lantern which stood there in the Byzantine period – used as a public light or marine and/or other purpose locator/beacon. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Fener district became home to many of the Greeks in the city. The Patriarchate of Constantinople moved to the area as well and is still located there. As a result, "Phanar(i)" (the traditional spelling) is often used as shorthand for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, just as "Vatican" is used for the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. During the Ottoman period, the Greek inhabitants of Fener were called "Phanariotes" and were important assistants to the Sultan in various capacities and offices. Wealthy Phanariotes were appointed as governors over provinces in Turkish Europe and Greece, and as hospodars of Wallachia and Moldavia between 1711 and 1821. The Phanar contains the patriarchal cathedral of St. George. Its main entrance is never opened since the then Patriarch was hanged there in 1821, at the time of Greek independence. The oldest surviving Greek school in Istanbul, Özel Fener Rum Lisesi, is found in Fener. The school was established in 1454. An important Bulgarian church, St. Stephen ("The Iron Church"), lies between the patriarchate and the shore of the Golden Horn. There are a number of other barely used Greek Orthodox churches.