How many people would know that there was a Greek Jerusalem? In fact there is still a Greek Jerusalem buried in the multilayered society of the city. Kostantinos Papasthatis brings back the history and politics of this neglected but crucial community in the city. Starting the discussion with an overview of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem and its structure - a Greek hierarchy and the Arab congregation - we then moved to talk about the little known fact that the Greek Orthodox Church is one of the largest landowners in Israel and Palestine. Back to history, Kostas recalled the beginning of the clash between the Greek hierarchy and the Arab laity which dates back 1872 and in some form continues today. In the second part of the interview we brought back to life the Greek Colony of Jerusalem which eventually disappeared as a result of the 1948 war. Lastly we talked about the famous Holy Fire tradition that takes place on Easter day in Jerusalem inside the Holy Sepulchre.

Originally published on 01/19/2022

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