Venerable Patriarchal Church of St. George

The Venerable Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul carries the story of Patriarch Gregory V, dragged from this church and hanged at its gate on Easter Sunday 1821 after the Ottoman sultan held him responsible for a Greek uprising he had actually condemned. The guide traces how that gate has stood shut ever since, and how this modest building on the Golden Horn has served for centuries as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians worldwide. You'll also hear about the seminary Turkey closed in 1971, still shut today.