Birgi
Coordinates: 38°15′00″N 28°03′32″E / 38.250°N 28.059°E
| Birgi | |
|---|---|
| Location of Birgi | |
| Coordinates: 38°15′N 28°03′E / 38.250°N 28.050°E | |
| Country | |
| Region | Aegean Region |
| Province | İzmir Province |
| District | Ödemiş District |
| Elevation | 326 m (1,070 ft) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Birgi is a small town located in the Ödemiş district of İzmir province in Turkey. Its current name is a distortion of its medieval Greek name, Pyrgion (Greek: Πυργίον, meaning "Little Tower").
History[edit]
In antiquity, the town was known as Dios Hieron (Διός Ἱερόν, "Sanctuary of Zeus").[1] Dios Hieron was an ancient Greek city of Ionia. It belonged to the Delian League as is mentioned in records of tributes to Athens between 454/3 and 416/5 B.C. Moreover, an Athenian decree of 427/6 B.C. indicates that at that time venerated Hieron Colophon.[2][3][4] The city is mentioned by Thucydides after Chios revolted against the Athenians, while Pliny the Elder says Dioshieronitans came to Ephesus to settle their legal issues.[5]
It was renamed to Christoupolis (Χριστούπολις) in the 7th century and was known as Pyrgion from the 12th century on.[1] Pyrgion fell to the Turks in 1307, and became the capital of the beylik of Aydin.[1] It was subsequently incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1390. Birgi is well known for its classic Seljuk and Ottoman architecture and has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage by ÇEKÜL (Protection and Promotion of the Environment and Cultural Heritage) since 1994.
Bishopric[edit]
It is attested as an episcopal see since 451, as a suffragan of Ephesus, which it remained until the late 12th century when it became a separate metropolis.[1]
There are four known bishops of this diocese.
- Stephen took part in the Council of Ephesus of 431
- Eustorgios was not present at the Council of Chalcedon (451) and his metropolitan, Stephen of Ephesus, signed on his behalf
- Zoetus was among the fathers of the Council of Constantinople of 680 and the one called in Trullo of 692
- Stephen of Pyrgion participated at the two Councils of Constantinople in 869–870 and 879–880 who dealt with the issue of Patriarch Photios I of Constantinople
Today Dioshieron survives as titular bishopric in the Roman Catholic Church,[6] so far the see has never been assigned.[7][8]
Notable historic structures[edit]
- Çakırağa Mansion — built in 18th-century Ottoman style by the wealthy Çakırağa family.
- Aydınoğlu Mehmet Bey Mosque — commissioned in 1313 by Mehmet Bey, the founder of the Aydinids.
- Tomb of Birgivi Mehmet Efendi — built in 1335 in the courtyard of the Aydınoğlu Mehmet Bey Mosque.
- Sultanşah Mausoleum
- Fortress Madrasa, where Sultan Mehmet II "The Conqueror" (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481) was educated.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Nesbitt, John W.; Oikonomides, Nicolas, eds. (1996). Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 3: West, Northwest, and Central Asia Minor and the Orient. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. p. 45. ISBN 0-88402-250-1.
- ^ Michel Lequien, Oriens Christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus , Paris 1740, Volume I, coll. 723-724.
- ^ Pascal Culerrier, Les Évêchés suffragants of Éphèse aux 5th to 13th siècles , in Revue des études byzantines, Vol45, 1987, p.155.
- ^ Raymond Janin, v. Dioshiéron, in Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques , vol. XIV, Paris 1960, coll. 514-515.
- ^ Pliny the Elder V, 120.
- ^ Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae , Leipzig 1931, p. 444.
- ^ Dioshieron at Catholic heirachy.org.
- ^ Dioshieron at GCatholic.org.