Aya Yorgi, Aghios Gheorghios - Büyükada, Istanbul, Turkey - Orthodox Churches on Waymarking.com

History and Legend

Aya Yorgi church was built in the name of Saint George and is located on the highest hill of Büyükada, called Yücetepe. In order to fulfill their wish-making rituals, crowds of every religion visit Aya Yorgi twice a year i.e. on April 23 and September 24. Many believe a visit and a prayer will grant a wish such as marriage, health, wealth. The hill is too steep for the horses so everyone must walk up. Benches are scattered around for those who need to take a breath during this tiring climb. However, you don’t really notice the steepness of the ascent with the spectacular view of the forest and the stunning sights of the other islands and sea through the trees. On the way up, we noticed that the path is surrounded with small bushes and trees adorned with yarns, ribbons and meters of thread and some stacked stones. According to a common belief the wishes of those who climb in silence and tie a thread to the bushes come true and their problems are solved. It is also believed that if a woman unravels a string while climbing, she will bear a child and unreeling thread while walking up brings luck and money.

The Greeks called the church Aya Yorgos, but in time it was converted into Aya Yorgi. The legend, which makes this church such an important center of visit and vow cites:

During the crusades the monks at Aya Yorgi church buried the icons and sacred objects to save them from the crusaders. Several years later Aya Yorgi appeared to a shepherd in his dream three consecutive nights and he was told him to climb the hill leading to the church bare foot alone and in silence and to dig at the spot where the sound of bells was the loudest. It is believed that the shepherd revealed the hidden icons. Today these icons are on display at Aya Yorgi church together with other objects.

Moreover, this church is one of two sacred pilgrimage sites of Christianity in Turkey, the other being Virgin Mary’s House in Ephesus, and on the dates given above hundreds of visitors fill the church. At those times it is almost impossible to find a place to move on the ferries sailing to Büyükada as well on the path and in the church. According to Christian belief, those who visit Aya Yorgi are considered to be half-pilgrims. The visitors climb the trail without talking and they make a wish at the church and buy either a bell or a key from the church. If their wish is realized they should bring back the object they got. The oil they donate to the church is also appreciated. Aya Yorgi is open for visitors throughout the year.

Source and nice geocache: (visit link)

More info: (visit link)

Type of Orthodox Church: Oriental Type of Building: Church Status of Building: Actively in use for worship Archdiocese: Patriarchate of Constantinople Address: Aya Yorgi, Aghios Gheorghios Buyukada Istanbul, Istanbul Turkey Relevant Website: [Web Link] Date of organization: Not listed Date of building construction: Not listed Associated Icons, Reliefs, art, etc.: Not listed Diocese: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to this waymark, you must post at least one original photo (from a different angle than the original waymark) of the site, give the date and a brief description of your visit, including your impressions of the architectural details that make your waymark submission special.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.