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Sklithro-Zelenich-Sebalći

Sklithro-Zelenich-Sebalći

A Village Remembered, A Heritage Preserved

  • Home
  • History
    • Neolithic: Four Lakes Region
    • Ancient Macedonian Period: Eordaea
    • Roman Period
    • Eastern Roman Empire – Byzantium
    • Medieval Macedonia 600 C.E. – 1400 C.E.
    • Ottoman Enter the Balkan’s in the 1300s
    • 1400’s Hiding from the Occupier
    • 1500’s Enter the Yörüks
    • 1600’s Mountain Brigands
    • 1700’s Autocephalous Macedonian Apostolic Church
    • 1800s National Awakening
    • 1900 – 1903 Ilinden
    • 1904 – 1908 Bloody Wedding
    • 1908-1912 Survival & Coexistence
    • Balkan Wars 1912 – 1913
    • World War I in Macedonia – 1914-1918
    • The Greek-Turkish War, 1919-1922
    • The Greco-Turkish Population Exchange of 1923, Macedonia and Sklithro-Zelenich
    • Language and Identity: The Significance of Abecedar 1925
    • Assimilation Policies in Aegean Macedonia (1924-1940): A Historical Overview of the Interwar Years
    • Sklithro–Zelenich in World War II (1940–1945)
    • 2000s
  • Customs
    • Christmas – KOLEDA – Winter Solstice!
    • New Year’s – ESHKA
    • Epiphany – Celebration of Water
    • Martinka – Grandma March!
    • Forgiveness Sunday – Prochka
    • Easter Celebrations
      • Zelenich (Macedonian) Custom of the Lazarines
      • Easter
    • May 1 Celebration
    • Agia Paraskevi – Sveta Petka
    • Summer Solstice – Lita
    • Rain Dance – Dudule
    • Fall Equinox
    • Marriage Rituals
    • Kијани – spinning wool
    • Religion & Village Values
  • Pictures
    • St. Demetrius built in 1844
    • St. Friday (Agia Paraskeva – Sveta Petka)
    • St. George Church
    • Houses
    • Potato Festival
    • Weddings
  • Maps
  • Language
    • Zelenichki Lafovi
    • The Living Sound of Aegean Macedonian Speech – Why People Say “Gra” Instead of “Grav”
    • Nostalgic Poems from a Macedonian Village
  • Contact
  • About Us

Religion & Village Values

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Sklithro-Zelenić Instagram

In memory of A Walk Through Nature’s Church After the building of St. Dimitrius in 1844, a leading group of notables Zelenich and Zagorichani got together to build the first wooden church of St. Stephan on October 9, 1849. The social stability in these two agrarian societies lead to social mobility due to a ruling elite that had access to trade and jobs in the urban centres. Many of these wealthier families that had businesses in Istanbul donated funds to help build St. Stephan Orthodox Church. Even though it was later called a Bulgarian church, it was Macedonians from the Kostur (Kastoria) and Lerin (Florina) region that built this church. The majority of this community in Istanbul today have their roots in Western Macedonia and not Bulgaria as, after the formation of the Bulgarian Exarchist Church, all of the ethnic Bulgarians in Istanbul moved back to Bulgaria, leaving the Macedonians from Kostur and Lerin to hold the reins of this community in Turkey. Eventually, their choices determined, in a positive or in a negative way, their national preferences and eventually their future. But even to this day (2026), we have “so-called Bulgarians” identifying as Macedono-Bulgarians who still have connections with villages in Western Macedonia such as Sklithro and Vasiliatha. If you can read Turkish, have a look at Georg Kostandov’s book, İSTANBULLU BULGARLAR VE ESKI İSTANBUL. The author’s family came from Zagoricani (Basiliada) just below Prekopana (Perikopi). HOLY CHURCH OF SAINT DEMETRIUS Culture deserves respect. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbmv1SXM6b9/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbmvsGxsEvZ/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbmvex3MhnP/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbmvRMdMu_4/
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