Christian communities across Türkiye embrace spirit of Christmas

ISTANBUL

From the historic cathedrals of Istanbul to the stone-carved sanctuaries of the southeastern province of Mardin, Christian communities across the country have united this week to mark Christmas with a range of festive celebrations.

In Istanbul, inside the soaring nave of Saint Antoine Church, a global congregation stood united under a canopy of hymns and candlelight.

As clergy moved in solemn, rhythmic processions, the ancient Latin chants bridged a dozen languages.

In the timeless city of Mardin, the Syriac Christian community gathered at the historic Forty Martyrs Cathedral to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity.

This sacred occasion commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and stands as a cornerstone of spiritual life for Eastern Christian denominations.

Led by senior Syriac Orthodox clergy, the service filled the ancient stone arches with hymns and prayers in both Syriac and Turkish, with rituals during the service symbolically reenacting the conditions of Christ’s birth.

In Midyat, another center of Syriac Christian life in the city, local churches became a crossroads for the faithful as worshippers arrived from surrounding villages and across international borders.

Services lasted several hours and included traditional chants and rituals preserved over centuries.

In the southern city of Hatay’s Antakya, members of the city’s shrinking Christian population gathered at Saint Peter’s Grotto, one of the world's oldest rock churches.

The landscape around the cave remains scarred by the Feb 6, 2023 quakes that devastated southern Türkiye.

In the wake of the devastating disaster, the spirit of Antakya found refuge in the historic cage for a Christmas Eve liturgy.

Though the local congregation is now reduced to fewer than 90 families, the service transcended its museum status to become a living house of worship once more.

In İskenderun, another historic town in the city, the St. George Greek Orthodox Church became a beacon of communal strength this Christmas, where the solemnity of morning prayers united families.