The Turkish authorities want to open on the island of Halki, the centre of Islamic studies


Orthodox Seminary on Halki island

The government’s decision on the establishment of the Islamic centre postpones the revival of the Orthodox Seminary, located on the island.

2 August, the government of Turkey stated that on the island of Halki will be created “a world center of Islamic studies”, reports Седмица.Ru.

An island located in the sea of Marmara near Istanbul, is famous for the fact that there is an Orthodox Seminary, closed by the authorities in 1971. All this time the Patriarchate of Constantinople unsuccessfully sought from the Turkish authorities for the resumption of its activities.

A new center for the study of Islam planned to build directly in front of the building of the theological school. The Seminary was founded in 1844 with the permission of Sultan Abdulmajid I and operated until 1971, when the Turkish authorities decided to close it.

At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured the Patriarch that the Seminary of Halki will open in the fall. Information about restoration theological school appeared in 2010. In recent years the building was renovated.

In 2016, Patriarch Bartholomew said that between the Turkish government and religious minorities in the country again came the “critical moment”.

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