Priceless relics on display for the first time in the new wing of the city’s archaeological museum
When hearing the name “Cappadocia”, almost by association, images that combine religiosity, monastic life and Hellenism come to mind, all set in a landscape of rare geomorphology and natural beauty. In this special and special place with a rich and meaningful history, the Greek Cappadocians left a strong mark, until the exchange of populations in 1924.
The anniversary of the centenary of the violent expatriation of thousands of people from their ancestral homes and their settlement in the new homelands in almost the entire Greek territory, inevitably gives birth to memories that in fact have never been erased.
These memories are still alive, a hundred years later, thanks to the priceless religious and cultural relics that the refugees brought with them. Heirlooms that were saved, making a long and arduous journey, like their owners, crossing mountains and seas, to arrive today to be the witnesses of a region rich in culture, Cappadocia. There, where Christianity flourished and gave birth to important personalities (St. Gregory the Theologian from Nazianzo, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Basil the Great) who made a decisive contribution to shaping the theological thought of the Orthodox Church.
Priceless heirlooms loaded with memories
A small part of the priceless heirlooms, which for years have been kept at the Center for Cappadocian Studies in Nea Karvali of the municipality Kavala, are exhibited for the first time in the new wing of the archaeological museum of Kavala, as part of a periodic exhibition, entitled “The Cappadocia of living monuments – The sacred vessels of the monasteries of Karval (Gelveri)”.
The entire long history of Cappadocia unfolds before the visitor’s eyes. At the same time, he has the unique opportunity to admire up close priceless religious relics, such as liturgical books, icons, liturgical vessels, priestly vestments, wood-carved seals for offerings, woven carpets, personal items. All, remnants of the once brilliant religious and spiritual life of the Greek refugees of Cappadocia, which keep the memory indelible in the minds and hearts of their descendants.
The head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kavala – Thassos, Stavroula Dadaki, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, gave a very interesting look back at the long and complex history of Cappadocia, which begins around the second millennium with the Hittite empire, while its name for the first time attested by Herodotus.
The Christian heritage of Cappadocia
“Christianity arrived in fully Hellenized Cappadocia in the 1st century AD,” Ms. Dadaki underlined and continued: “according to tradition, the apostles Peter and Paul visited the area and preached the gospel. Despite resistance from the local Roman authorities, who saw the new religion as a threat, Christianity continued to spread. From the 3rd century AD Cappadocia became a stronghold of the Christian faith. Many of the early Christian communities were founded in remote areas, in valleys and caves, where the faith was practiced without fear of persecution.”
Among the most important elements of the Christian heritage of Cappadocia, included since 1985 in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are the ancient churches, many of which were founded during the period of Emperor Justinian. Carved out of the soft volcanic rock of the area, they stand out for their special architecture and for their decoration of frescoes and mosaics that have survived to this day. However, Cappadocia also hosts countless monasteries. Often built in remote locations, such as on the tops of cliffs or in the depths of valleys, they played an important role in the Christian history of the region.
“In today’s Güzelyurt, in the Cappadocian Karvali or Gelveri,” emphasized Ms. Dadaki, “more than 300 churches and monasteries are still preserved to this day. In the 4th century, with Gregory the Theologian, the heyday of the monastic brotherhood begins. Later, it shrunk in area between the three gorges of the settlement of Gelveri and at the end of the 17th century it disappeared almost completely. During the second half of the 18th century, a small group of monks remained who kept few monasteries open, due to the proximity to the main church of Saint Gregory the Theologian.”
Concluding her speech, the Superintendent of Antiquities of Kavala – Thassos thanked the contributors to the exhibition, the archaeologists Sofia Saindi and Maria Arambatzi, the conservator Savvato Pastrafidou, as well as the Center for Cappadocian Studies of Nea Karvalis, who helped decisively to present an excellent result.
The unknown work of Archimandrite Ioannis Panteleimonides
The president of the Center for Cappadocian Studies of Nea Karvalis, Kaplanis Iosifidis, who for more than forty years fought a great struggle for the collection and rescue of the relics brought by the refugees, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, referred to Archimandrite Ioannis Panteleimonides (1850 – 1901 ), who was instrumental in the reconstruction of the Gelveri monastic brotherhood and collected what was left of the repair of the destroyed monasteries.
“In 1901, with the death of the archimandrite”, notes Mr. Iosifidis, “the monasteries were deserted one after the other. However, the organized philanthropic brotherhood of Karvalis “Nazianzos”, with the ecclesiastical committee and the administrators of the property of the monasteries, collect all the remaining utensils, protect them and send them to Greece. Today, in the holy pilgrimage of Saint Gregory in Nea Karvali, the remains of the Saint and members of his family, the vessels of the church of the same name from Gelveri, as well as holy icons from other temples of Cappadocia are kept.
The Cappadocian Studies Center in Nea Karvali houses the books from the monasteries’ libraries, a large part of the monasteries’ utensils and objects that belonged to Archimandrite Ioannis Panteleimonides. In 1965, these relics were given by the Philanthropic Brotherhood of Athens “Nazianzos” to Kavaliotis Stavros Antoniadis, who in 1988 donated them to the Center for Cappadocian Studies. Some other objects were donated or bought by first-generation Cavalier refugees, who reverently carried them from the churches and iconostasis of their homes.
Finally, during the opening of the exhibition, the director of the Center for Asia Minor Studies, Stavros Anestidis, presented the anniversary code for the 100 years of Cappadocian Refugee Memory, which is a tribute to the long cultural heritage of Cappadocia. Also, the photographic and audio-visual material prepared by Nechmetin Erbakan University of Iconium was presented.
