According to Christian belief, the 2024th anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ was celebrated with a ceremony held at the Greek Patriarchate of Istanbul and a ceremony of taking the cross from the sea on the Golden Horn Coast. A similar ceremony in Balat was held simultaneously in Kadıköy, Bakırköy and Beşiktaş.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I led the ceremony held in the Hagia Yorgi Church within the patriarchate. At the service that started at 09.00 in the morning, prayers were said and candles were lit. Those who attended the service with Bartholomew, then walked to the Golden Horn Beach. Patriarch Bartholomew threw a cross into the water from here. Nearly 50 people, including women, jumped into the sea to take the thrown cross from the sea. The person who managed to find the cross was Kostas Kypros.
Cross Removal Ceremony from the Sea After 63 Years
After the ceremony held at Istanbul Kadıköy Moda Pier to commemorate the anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ after 63 years, a ceremony of taking the cross was held from the sea.
A ceremony was held at the Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church on Bahariye Street in Kadıköy, Istanbul. After the service, which lasted approximately 3 hours, prayers were said accompanied by the cortege and all walked to Moda Pier, where the cross-throwing ceremony would be held.
Here, 6 people jumped into the sea to take the cross that Metropolitan Emmanuel threw into the sea. The cross taken from the sea was kissed and presented to Meropolitan Emmanuel. Silver cross necklaces were given as gifts to 6 people who jumped into the sea to find the cross.
Many citizens, as well as Kadıköy Mayor Şerdil Dara Odabaşı, attended the ritual and the ceremony of throwing the cross, where the police took extensive security measures. The ceremony was watched with interest by the citizens.
