Reopening Turkey's Controversial Greek Orthodox Monastery | Atlas Obscura

The Halki Seminary in Heybeliada, Istanbul, was first established in 1844, and was one of the top institutions for theological education in the Greek Orthodox world. The Greek Orthodox seminary trained future parish leaders until 1971, when the Turkish authorities forcibly shuttered the monastery for almost 50 years. Today, under the leadership of chaplain Father Ioann, the monastery is preparing to reopen again, allowing visitors to marvel at its treasures inside, including a Bible written in Greek, Latin, Arabic, Syrian, Ethiopian, and Persian. The journey to its reopening, however, will not be smooth.

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