Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Mt. Athos


Detailed map of Mt. Athos where Perti found refuge with the fishermen.
(Detail from Map)The Balkans. Entitled Turkey and Greece, this map by Edward Weller, Issued by Blackie & Son about 1875


Mt Athos/Ayranoz is an island famous with its monastery established during the period of the Ottoman Empire on cliffs near Greece. This place, which the Orthodox women cannot enter even today, represents Christianity with its a thousand-year old history. 'Mara Hatun', the mother of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, sends a message to the priest of Ayronaz when Fatih is the shahzade. She says that the shahzade is indulgent for other religions and it is good to ask for intercession in advance. Thereupon, the priest visits Fatih and asks for intercession. 'Hz Ömer used to send firmans (imperial order), by sealing the print of his own hand, to the cities he conquered when he spread Islam and make promises that their rights would not be interfered. Fatih Sultan Mehmet also sends a firman with a seal of Hz Ömer’s hand to Ayranoz after he conquered Istanbul. Today, there are many Ottoman artworks in Ayranoz, along with this firman.

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