More than two months after the earthquake disaster in southern Turkey’s Antakya, Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter in front of the rubble of their church. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John X, held the service today, wrote “nehna”, a platform for Orthodox Christians in the region, on Twitter.
The faithful therefore gathered in front of the rubble of the Orthodox Church in Antakya, which was destroyed in the February 6 earthquake. The city of Antakya and the entire province of Hatay near the Syrian border were badly hit by the earthquake disaster.
Antakya, ancient Antioch, is shaped by different cultures and religions. Antioch occupies an important place in the history of Christianity. According to tradition, it is one of the first Christian communities around Paul and was later the seat of one of the early church patriarchates.
The Orthodox Churches adhere to the Julian calendar in connection with Easter. The Gregorian calendar applies to both Catholics and Protestants. This usually leads to the fact that the Orthodox celebrate the most important festival of the church year at a different time from the other Christians.
