A group of Romanian pilgrims prayed on Wednesday at the Church of the Virgin Mary of Blachernae in Constantinople, marking 1,400 years since the first chanting of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God.
The pilgrimage, organised by the Romanian Patriarchate’s Basilica Travel Agency, is taking place over four days and includes visits to major places of worship in the former capital of the Byzantine Empire.
On Wednesday, the faithful visited the Church of the Life-Giving Spring before attending the Divine Liturgy at the Romanian church of Saint Paraskevi. After the service, the group visited the Church of Blachernae.
“The church recalls the miracle of 626, when the Mother of God protected and saved the city of Constantinople from the attack of the Avars and the Slavs. We have sought to mark the 1,400th anniversary of this event through this pilgrimage to Istanbul,” Andrei Radu, the group’s guide, told Basilica.ro.
The pilgrims continued their programme with visits to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Saint George. In the following days, the itinerary includes walking tours of major historical and religious landmarks in Istanbul, such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the ancient Hippodrome.
Basilica Travel has announced a range of pilgrimages for 2026, including destinations such as Egypt, Mount Athos, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, the Balkans and Romania, focusing on monasteries in Bucovina, Neamț, Maramureș and Dobrogea.
Photo: Andrei Radu
