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Aya Dimitri: The famous and ancient holy water in İstanbul Mebrure Değer Introduction "Ayazma" means holy water which originates from the Greek word "Hagiasme." A.D. ayazma were meant for the spring used to baptize Jesus. There are many "Ayazma" in İstanbul. Almost all of the ayazmas are named after a Saint. They are usually located in churches or in gardens. Ayazma is usually visited for curing diseases as well as afterwards wishes such as to get to married, to have children. İndividuals at an ayazma usually pray to god and drink its holy water. İndividual with wishes prays in front of Jesus and Virgin Mary and brings gifts such as oil for candles, brooms and brushes. History The Ayazma of Aya Dimitri) is one of the most important ayazma of İstanbul. İt is said that ; This ayazma has been found October 1002 A.D. and has been built a church near the ayazma. Aya Dimitri lived A.D. 3th. Century, during the reign of empire of Dioclitianos , emperor of Rome. Aya Dimitri was born in Selaniko and his Parents were christian. Due to his aristocratic family, he was made army officer to represent Rome in Selaniko. İn 303 A.D due to his being devoted christian, he was arrested and jailed and after few days he was beheaded. This prison was under basement of a church which later named after his name Aya Dimitri. The second church named again after him was built A.D 1002 in Costantinopolis (İstanbul). He is remembered every year on 26 th. Which his date of dead as accepted by orthodoxes as a memorial day for him.
Acta - Congressus Historiae Pharmaciae 2001
The building of Ayazma Next to church on the left side of Ayazma’s entrance, there is a large water depot with three fountains. On the fountains there is a large ikon of Aya Dimitri. İt is assumed that this icon was made during Byzantium. The source of Ayazma ( holy water) is found at the end of a narrow corridor which about 150 cm. width and 140-150 cm. height. İt takes 30-35 meter walking to reach source of Ayazma. The wall of the corridor is wet and soaky and due to calcerization different natural shapes are observed. There are drawings and writings on the walls. i.e., My brother in law should not intervene with my life, My god please make me lose my excess weight, please help me marry, please help me buy a house, my god please help to have children, my god please help me to get passing grades. The source of Ayazma is rocky and around one square meter size. The Ayazma’s water comes from rocks by pipes down to the pool. Some back around the people with wishes to be satisfied by the God Used to hang underwears and hankerchiefs,socks. They also used to put coins in to the holes on the wall. But this kind of practices have been forbidden by the authorities. Therapy in Ayazma İn front of fountains, the priest reciting new testament holding in his one hand and with the other hold touching heads of each follows for sometime before moving his hand to another one. After reciting ends, the priest puts a handcuff over the head of believers arond their necks, and make them kiss the handcuff. İt is believed that the handcuff reminds believers queue that how Aya Dimitri torturied during his prison life. When we asked a woman with a child “ The reason of her visit of Aya Dimitri Ayazma, she responded “ My child in spide of his age ( 4 year old), he could not speak like his peers, and she continued saying that when I first came the priest recetied from new tastement to my son and this is fourth time I am here, as I mentioned earlier he could’nt speak a word, but now event he could contract simple sentences. Now I also brought my son’s old underwear I soaked with holy water, after the priest reciting prayers on underwear, I will put it
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on and the underwear dry. I will the underwear by pearing out everybody believes as soon as the underwear fabric is torn my son will start talking. The guard of Aya Dimitri Ayazma explaned that ayazma’s water is coming out of rocks so it is clean and sacred. This water are not mixed with the city sevege system but by a separate pipe is directly reached to the sea. After the priest gave his blessing the faithful believers, I visited the priest and asked him about holy water . He responded that longtime ago, people were setting sick and they were dying. There were not doctors and cures. For this, people prayed the God and asked him what to do when they are sick and uncurable. They begged the God, and one of the saint barely heard flowing water noise, he looked around and saw some water is coming out of the soil. When they digged this wet place and they discovered a water spring. The saint heard a calling voice saying then you should make your sheeps drink this water. When looked around he saw no sheeps around . So he assumed that the God meant the people should drink this water for their cures. The saint after drinking the water he felt taste was very good and started to run to his willage and told them the story the God conveyed to him as repeated the God’s wish to recommend sick people, blind, and paralized to drink for their deficiencies. The faithful believer drank the holy water and the took a bath in this water and they became healty. The priest explaned that the water was discovered in the above story. The priest also continued by saying that here a picture of Aya Dimitri and next to it a handcuff. We believe that the handcuff is sacred piece so we asked belivers to show respect Aya Dimitri by kissing this handcuff. Few weeks back, one paralized sick man came here and said in his dream he saw a saint, Virgin Mary and Aya dimitri Ayazma but he could not remember the exact location of the Ayazma. After visiting same other ayazma’s he came here and felt that this ayazma was the ayazma he saw in his dream. He bathed in ayazma water, and his paralized was cured and he left the ayazma by walking on his feet. This ayazma specifically visited by the children could not speak, people in depression, paralized people.
Acta - Congressus Historiae Pharmaciae 2001
At the same time visiters used to write their wishes in a notebook but to pray the God to respected their wiches. The priest said that only people who believers in Ayazma miracles should visit ayazma and possible get cures The result of analysis of the holy water of Aya Dimitri İons
mg/lt
milival/lt
% milival
Ammonium 0.081 0.001 0.007 Sodium 40 1.739 13.157 Potassium 1.45 0.037 0.279 Calcium 200 10 75.66 Magnesium 17.5 1.44 10.895 İron 0 0 0 Lead 0 0 0 Copper 0 0 0 Chlorine 104.86 2.957 10.742 Sulphat 187.7 3.910 14.204 Carbonate 660.136 20.66 75.05 The degree of hardness: 62 Conductivity: 1.056 mS/ cm. PH : 7.1 The water of the holy water of Aya Dimitri contains Carbonate, and Calcium . References Akşit, Ilhan: Istanbul Sandoz Yay.,No.3, Ist., 1981 Anabritannica Ansiklopedi. ,İst.,1987 Atabek,M.Emine: Ortaçağ Tababeti. İst.Üni.Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fak. Yay. Rektörlük No: 2272,Dekanlık No.42, İst.,1977 Aytar,Selçuk: İstanbul Tıbbi Folkloru.Tıp. Tarihi Doktora Tezi.,İst.,1980 Büyük Dinler ve Mezhepler Ansiklopedisi: İst.,1961 Değer, Mebrure. İstanbulun Şifalı Suları. Tıp Tarihi Doktora Tezi. İst.,1988 Koçu,Reşat Ekrem: Istanbul Ansiklopedisi.Ist.,1948 s.925-960 Teoliptos Fenerli,(25) Rahip, Tarabya.İst.,1988
