Hundreds of people visit the beautiful monastery of St. George Koudounas on Princes’ islands, every year.
On the occasion of the Feast of Saint George, on April 23, (not a movable nameday for Turkey) crowds of people flocked into the church and prayed.
The Holy Monastery of Saint George Koudounas is at the top of the island’s southern hill. It takes about ten minutes to arrive from the harbor to the foot of the hill by using the well-known horse carriages, as on Princes’ islands cars are forbidden.
The monastery celebrates twice a year. On the 23rd of April it celebrates Saint George’s Day and on the 24th of September is the Panagia Myrtidiotissa and Saint Thekla Feast Day. In both feasts, but especially in the first, there is an amazing phenomenon.
Tens of thousands of Muslims, from all parts of Turkey, come to the monastery to worship Saint George, light their candle to his grace and ask him to help them with their problems.
As protothema.gr mentions, he is a beloved Saint for the Turks too, since, as they say -according to the tradition- “the saint does not distinguish Greeks from heathens and takes care of everyone.” That’s why they are asking for a better job, to bring them the right mate, to help them buy a house or to keep evil away from their family.
