FERIKOY CELEBRATIONS
Abstract
The Georgian Catholic Monastery of Immaculate Conception of Holy Virgin in Istanbul (in Turkish - Gürcü Katolik Kilisesi, in Georgian - ლურდის ღვთისმშობლის სახელობის ქართულ-კათოლიკური ტაძარი), with its schools, printing house and rich library did a great Georgian work and had great cultural, educational and scientific functions outside of Georgia for a century.
The monastery was built in 1861 by Father Petre Kharischirashvili in one of the most beautiful districts of Istanbul, Ferikoy (the Village of Angels). It is noteworthy, that the most of the fathers serving in the Georgian Monastery of Istanbul were from Samtskhe-Javakheti by origin. Father Petre Tatalashvili was from Samtskhe as well.
For hundred years (1861-1961) of its existence, Georgian Catholic Monastery of Istanbul acted as a spiritual, cultural, educational and scientific center where many national, educational or scientific activities were performed. Establishment of religious and educational institution, Georgian-French schools, printing-houses, the literacy society for Georgians living in Turkey, the library called after Akaki Tsereteli are good examples of cultural and educational activities of the Monastery. The Monastery was the educational center providing Georgian young people the opportunity to get education first in Istanbul and then to Europe. At schools, students had the opportunity to study literature, history, religion, theology and philosophy. Most of the fathers of the monastery were polyglots, fluent in French, Italian, German and Latin, so they helped students to learn languages. They helped to many Georgian scientists and public figures, like Ivane Gvaramadze, Mikheil Tamarashvili, Shalva Vardidze, etc.
The purpose of the article: Description of Monasterial work of one of the honorable figures, the Monastery secretary and the person in charge for the educational processes, later on the Prior of the monastery, Father Petre Tatalashvili, continuation of the traditions of Ferikoy Monastery and arrangement of the grand celebrations, tracked in the documents obtained from the monastery archive, had not widely used by the scientists. The study will be interesting for the people concerned by the history of Georgian monastery in Istanbul being famous not only by religious and educational activities but also interesting from the cultural point of view. The monastery linked those Georgians who lived in different parts of Ottoman Turkey and also those who immigrated from Georgia.
Key words: Petre Tatalashvili; Georgian Monastery (Savane) of Istanbul; Georgian Catholics.
