The celebration of the Epiphany in Istanbul began with a ceremony held by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Fener in the Turkish diocese
Ten swimmers dive into the icy waters of Istanbul’s Golden Horn to remove the cross thrown by Patriarch Bartholomew. Diving into the icy waters of Istanbul’s Golden Horn, Orthodox Christians celebrated the anniversary of the birth and baptism of Jesus of Nazareth on Thursday.
The celebration of the Epiphany in Istanbul began with a ceremony held by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Fener in the Turkish diocese, followed by swimmers diving into the water to remove the sacred cross.
Patriarch Bartholomew himself led the morning ceremony, which took place in the Church of St. George at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with participants singing chants and lighting candles for the ritual.
Epiphany is one of the most important holidays of the Orthodox Church, in honor of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
So the ritual lasted four hours, and then the participants headed to the shores of the Golden Horn, where Patriarch Bartholomew threw a cross into the sea and 10 swimmers dived to get it out. Galip Yavuz was lucky to return the cross this year.
“I am very happy and wish a year full of fellowship and love to all of you,” Yavuz said, adding that he had participated in the ritual for the past five years. A group of spectators came to witness this popular event, known as the “Blessed Sacrament”.
The measures for COVID-19 were preserved during the ritual in the church and the Golden Horn. Marine police units on boats also took security measures at sea as the swimmers dived for the cross.
Several diving rituals have taken place in other districts of the Turkish metropolis, including Kuzgundzuk, Buyukada and San Stefano (Yesilköy).
