Two years since the restoration of Evangelistria Tataoulon – Six families keep the historic Greek Community alivetranslated

This year marks two years since the opening of the doors of the restored Evangelistria of Tataouli, a historic 132-year-old Greek Orthodox Church in the heart of Constantinople, in Dolapdere. There, where a large Greek community once lived and today six families remain as "pillars", who together with the priest of the church, Father Philotheos Kelepouris from Veria, are trying to keep the Greek presence alive in a neighborhood that has changed radically.

The restoration of the church, reopened on October 27, 2024 by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, breathed new life into the historic parish. However, for the few Greeks who still live in the area, the biggest stake is no longer saving the church, but the continuation of the community itself. Their next goal is to renovate the old Greek school opposite the church and turn it into a cultural and educational center for the diaspora.

The Evangelistria of Tataouls is still a meeting point for those Greeks of Constantinople who remained, but also for those visitors who want to "smell" the history of a...