Sixteenth Annual Hellenic Lecture
Dr Alexis Alexandris
Diplomat and historian, Former Consul General of Greece in Istanbul
Ambassador-Representative of Greece to the UN, Geneva
Thursday 16 March 2017, 6.15pm
Moore Building Lecture Theatre
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
The lecture will be followed by a reception
All welcome
For further information please contact:
George.Vassiadis@rhul.ac.uk or Ch.Dendrinos@rhul.ac.uk
The Hellenic Institute, Royal Holloway University of London
After the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek Orthodox communities of the Near and Middle East were accorded a certain level of ethno-religious autonomy by their Muslim rulers. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, state policy towards these communities changed. In this lecture, Dr Alexandris will trace the history of the leading Greek communities of the Ottoman Empire and of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople during the transition to republican rule. He will also offer insights into more recent developments in Turkey and their impact on the long term future of the Greek Orthodox community of Istanbul, one of the oldest religious and ethnic minorities in a rapidly changing region.
