On February 20, the first divine service was held in the Turkish city of Didim for the Russian-speaking believers of the Moscow Patriarchate living on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The Divine Liturgy in the Basilica of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated by Priest Georgy Sergeev, responsible for the care of Russian-speaking believers in the territory of the Turkish Republic.
After the service, Father George held a meeting with parishioners, during which he spoke about the life of the communities of the Moscow Patriarchate in Turkey. During the conversation, further plans for the organization of regular worship services in the region were identified. Currently, three more communities operate on the Aegean coast of Turkey in the cities of Izmir, Kusadasi and Marmaris.
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The city of Didim (Greek: ΔίΔυμα) was founded around the IV century before the Birth of Christ. In the Byzantine period of history, Didymus became an episcopal residence, and from Emperor Justinian I the city entrusted the honorary name of Justinianopolis. In the early Middle Ages, the city was in decline. In the X–XII centuries, the episcopal see was revived here, and church construction was underway in the city. In the VII and XV centuries, the city was subjected to devastating earthquakes – the latter became the reason that the inhabitants left Didim. The city began to be repopulated only in the XVIII century.
The Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Didim was built in the IV century, destroyed after an earthquake in the XV century, restored by the Turkish authorities in 2014; currently it is under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.