New Facts about the Transfer of St Parasceve of Epibatae’s Relics in the 16th‒17th c.
New Facts about the Transfer of St Parasceve of Epibatae’s Relics in the 16th‒17th c.

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents some new facts about the translation of the relics of St Parasceve of Epibatae from Belgrade to Istanbul and their stay in the city until the fourth decade of the 17th century: 1. After converting the Metropolitan Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Belgrade into a mosque, Sülejman I (1494/1495‒1566) allowed its clergy to take the relics to Istanbul. 2. Perhaps for some time the saint’s relics were located in the Serbian church of Istanbul, and therefore it was originally called St. Petka. 3. After the obtaining of the relics by the Greek patriarchate, they were kept in a separate chapel of the Pammakarystos monastery. 4. The story about the Patriarch Parthenius being drowned by the Ottomans, because he donated the relics secretly to Voivode of Moldavia is a legend.These new facts testify that the popularity of the saint’s cult did not die out with the conquest of Belgrade by the Turks and was one of the main reasons for the last journey of St Parasceve of Epibatae’s relics to the place of their present residence in the city of Iași, Moldavia.

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