BLOG

Ali Passa of Ioannina: One coin, two sides

Ioannina is one of the parts of Greece where the Orthodox faith has left obvious signs of devotion and Byzantine notation. Key events by orthodox people of Epirus have written their own story in the Greek and orthodox mainstream. An important personality destined to remain forever in the hearts of the people of Ioannina is St. George Newmartyr. A humble personality, but with full dedication to the Triune God and the Orthodox faith. A figure of resistance to the Ottoman occupation of Ioannina, at a time when the Porte had started to fight the Romeiko and consequently some revolts had begun by Romeiko and Orthodox populations.

Young George being orphaned at the age of 8, a native of nearby Grevena tried to make the excess. He became an Ottoman officer's groom and then he fell in love with the woman of his life who he was going to marry. A Hotza will slander that he was a former Muslim and thereafter start the problems with the Ottoman Muslims.

A court takes place where the Saint demonstrated the obvious. That he is a Christian child born and raised by Orthodox parents. Then he was released and subsequently married the pious Gianniotisa Helen.

The difficulties for the Saint return after a year, in 1838, when he Hotza restores the theme of his evangelism. He was unable to refute the baseless and absurd accusations against him then. His imprisonment will occur and horrific tortures will follow, that the Orthodox iconography describes in detail and a simple man could not handle.

For St. George, the orthodox glory trip had begun. The Turks hanged George with his body exposed for three days and many miracles happened those days. George had won eternity and the love of his countrymen at the same time.

Every January 17,at the date of his death, his memory is honored by the municipality of Ioannina. A date not random at all, since it coincides with the day the Orthodox faith celebrates the memory of St. Anthony the Great, a figure of ascetic life and devotion to the God-man.


St. George Newmartyr, by following the same steps, those he had been taught by his Christians parents and had learned from the rich senile of the Orthodox church, reached the peak that a mere mortal could. For Ioannina, however, the importance of his life did not stop at the religious sense....


The mainland and islands of Greece react from 1821 strongly against the Porte regime. The concept of nation is again watering the Christian populations of the empire. The Greek national consciousness is revived once more in the hearts of the Romans. Ioannina is ready to start the revolution that will gradually free the country. For Ioannina St. George is a symbol of resistance and a model of survival. He was not bent by the hardships of life, neither by the hostility of the Turks. Each year a three-day celebration is held in his grace, but he is also celebrated in his birthplace of Grevena, at the village Agios Georgios as well as in Argyro Pigadi.

Your visit to Ioannina in January is quite interesting, as you will experience the religious feeling of the city and the devotion to the patron saint of Ioannina. The day is a public holiday for the city and an opportunity to experience the religious customs of Ioannina which are dedicated to the patron Saint George the Newmartyr.