OPINION - Is The Corrupt Greek Media Suddenly Falling in Love With Alexis?

The participation of main opposition Alexis Tsipras in an international forum in Como a few days ago obviously disappointed some of his comrades who we all know preferred that he appeared in the demonstrations that were taking place in the northern city of Thessaloniki where Prime Minister Antonis Samaras gave a speech about the nation's economy, but for those who are still in touch with reality, it was an obvious initiative for a party and leader vying for power. This was the theme of an article that appeared in To Vima at the weekend and which obviously leaves us with the impression that the publishers (some of Greece's most influential oligarchs) are turning their backs on the coalition government and sucking up to Alexis. (For a possible run as prime minister?)

The article, which clearly speaks to voters of the center, says that if the left wants to claim a significant role in Greek political life then it must expand its horizons and decide on whether or not Greece is an integral part of Europe. And what is worse, it condemns some party members for not realising this, but hails Alexis who it said has a better understanding of things.

Huh?

The guy spoke at the “Forum of Como”, at the posh Villa d’Este and some of the participants at this event included names such as Barroso, Monti, Almunia Asmousen, Trichet, etc. (in other words, representatives of the  European Neoliberal \Establishment).

The forum is held every autumn in the famous Villa d’Este resort which in 2009 was declared by  Forbes magazine as being the best hotel in the world! And Tsipras represented Greece among other heavy names such as the former Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta and Mario Monti, the former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, the banker Jean Claude Trichet, the German Minister Jörg Asmussen, and Commissioners Joaquín Almunia and Michel Barnier. Just check out the luxury setting.

Alexis still wants Greek citizens to to believe that he is fighting for the weak and the poor when he is clearly and without a doubt getting into bed with liberals?

Are you kidding us!

They must be fluffing his image up like they did with George Papandreou. The only thing is that at least George knew how to speak English, whereas Tsipras does not!

Check out where Mr. I am a Leftist but with a Right pocket stayed!

Aside from the obvious there is also something else that bothered us about this meeting in northern Italy. Frappers, when some the top names in European political life get together at a secluded hotel at one of the most expensive and luxurious resorts in the world to discuss global security, then expect them another hush, hush Bilderberg-type meeting that is brainstorming on events to come.

Our guess is that aside from the speeches that were made, there was also a lot of talks behind closed doors. Why do we believe that? And why are we here at HellasFrappe convinced that the meeting also had something to do with Europe's relations with Russia and the Middle East. Well guess who else attended this exclusive event? It was none other than US warmonger John McCain himself. He was actually interviewed by the BBC at the site and if one wanted to come to a conclusion on what all these neoliberals were talking about behind closed doors at this meeting then all you have to do is watch the video below. SHOCKING!

So can we safely assume that Tsipras is getting into bed with war mongers? Strong statement but then again if you actually watched the second video with John McCain then you too will wonder the same thing. A conference which discusses global security and includes names such as McCain who is steadfast on getting boots on the ground in Syria and in Iraq is a NO NO for Greek politicians. Greece has to stay neutral to all the events which are unfolding in the Middle East because they are occurring in our neighborhood!

We slammed George Papandreou many times about siding with other neocon war mongers such as George Soros and the Clintons, and from what we see Tsipras is following his lead. Papandreou may have given speeches about defending the rights of the poor and desperate people of Greece but yet he was commpletely comfortable about renting a luxury apartment  in Manhattan next to Lady Gaga!

Seriously...! How much more garbage do we have to digest?

Now we know that the Greek media is corrupt, but are they that wicked? Would they suddenly flip-flop and begin prepping up Tsipras to govern us because they too belong to the same necon group of war mongering buffoons who only endorse the defence industry, the city of London, Soros and WallStreet?

Lol... bet your heads are shaking up and down.

Frappers... it looks like it is going to be pretty interesting autumn. Stay tuned.

Signed
HellasFrappe Team

Amphipolis - Archaeologists Get Closer To Tomb, Discover Architrave Fragments of Ionic Order (Pics VIDEO)

The archaeological excavations in Amphipolis are still ongoing along with the horizontal removal of the soil throughout the area between the second diaphragmatic wall with the caryatids and the third wall. The latest news from the Ministry of Culture says that archaeologists discovered three architrave fragments of the Ionic order, with traces of blue and red color.

According to the announcement, a chamber behind the Caryatids, a marble revetment is featured (or an ornamental paneling that clads the walls of the room) and this, claims the announcement, is a good sign since it was a symbol of great wealth in the ancient world.

Earlier on Wednesday, reports from Northern Greece said that during the excavations, two inscriptions were found in the tomb, and were immediately transferred to the Museum of Amphipolis for research.

On Tuesday the first axonometric representation was presented by the Greek Ministry of Culture's architect Mihalis Lefantzis. The representation, featured in the photo ABOVE, details the two walled entrances; the exterior which was decorated with two Sphinxes and the interior where the two Caryatids were located.

The archaeological efforts continue with the removal of dirt from the tomb’s interior, in an effort to clear a safe path to the next chamber behind the Caryatids.

The Ministry of Culture also announced that aside from the archaeological work, much care is taken to ensure the static efficiency of the tomb with conservation and support work being carried out.

Archaeologists are now entering the third chamber which will certainly surpass the excellence of the first two.

Cautious about making any statements to the media, the Greek team of archaeologists which is working at the site are not keen on making any estimations on what lies beyond door number three.

As the days go by and as more and more is revealed in Amphipolis the secret, which was well hidden for over 2000 years, and which is about to be revealed, is capturing the minds and imagination of the whole world. In fact the impressive finds that have been unearthed in this area of Northern Greece have drawn the attention of the international press (especially after archaeologists discovered the Caryatids).

They also caught the attention of National Geographic which apparently published an article asking “Who is buried in the tomb of Amphipolis?”.

It more or less refers to the recent unearthing of the two Caryatids, and quotes scholars such as Philip Freeman, who is a professor of classics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa as saying “I do not know of anything quite like them”. Other Academicians such as Ian Worthington, a classical scholar at the University of Missouri in Columbia and the author of two books on Alexander the Great, argues in the article that the tomb probably belonged to a wealthy person.

     “The finely crafted floor, is a clear sign of wealth. The palace of Pella [where Alexander the Great was born] yielded a number of mosaics, and they were all very costly.”

The same view was also expressed by Hector Williams, who is  an archaeologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He argues that this is “an enormous tomb, and one assumes that it was built for some prestigious and wealthy person,”.

One thing is certain, that those who constructed this burial site probably wanted to create some sort of mausoleum, or a structure that surpassed the glory and splendour of any other building of its sort during that period. If this is so, then we here at HellasFrappe are certain that the world is in for an amazing discovery.

Notes

(An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture. The word architrave is also used to refer more generally to a style of mouldings (or other elements) framing the top of a door, window or other rectangular opening, where the horizontal "head" casing extends across the tops of the vertical side casings where the elements join. Wikipedia)

(The Ionic order forms one of the three orders of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian. The Ionic capital is characterized by the use of volutes. The Ionic columns normally stand on a base which separates the shaft of the column from the stylobate or platform; The cap is usually enriched with egg-and-dart. Wikipedia)

Court of Auditors Decides To Put Elliniko investment deal on Hold

The widely-talked about investment deal for the huge plot of land in the area of Elliniko (southern Athens) has been temporarily suspended by the Court of Auditors. A report in Ta Nea states that Greece's privatization fund TAIPED, which is handling the deal on behalf of the Greek state, was informed of this development on Tuesday.

According to the author in Ta Nea, the Court of Auditors cited a number of technical reasons on why this project should be placed on hold for now, but without elaborating and/or commenting on the essence of the deal.

The article in the Greek newspaper reveals that TAIPED is likely going to request that the decision be repealed, as it has done in similar cases in the past.

It should be reminded that the project with the Lamda Development joint venture was agreed upon about five months ago and provides that the investors will reform the site of the former international airport.

Lamda Development is set to pay 915 million euros for Elliniko, however it must first receive approval from the Court of Auditors before carrying out its investment.

Parliament Approves Contracts for Hydrocarbon Drilling in Western Greece

Greece's parliamentary Standing Committee on Production and Trade on Tuesday approved with a majority vote the three contracts for concessions to carry out exploratory drilling for hydrocarbons in Katakolo, Ioannina and the Gulf of Patras - all in western Greece - sponsored by the ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.

A fourth contract was also introduced, amending an existing contract for hydrocarbons exploratory drilling in the Thracian Sea, northern Greece.

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) has said that this is the only contract it is going to approve because all the rest constitute a sell-off of Greece's underground wealth through fast-track procedures.

(ANA-MPA )

Caryatids Unearthed At Amphipolis Prove Greekness of Macedonians - Tuff Luck FYROM (VIDEO)

The two Caryatids (sculpted female figures) of exceptional artistic value which were unearthed at the weekend during excavations by archaeologists in Ancient Amphipolis Kasta tomb, in northern Greece, only prove once again that Macedonia was, is and will always be Greek. Their presence only ridicules the ignorant historians of FYROM -and other George Soros backed countries- who dared to recognize this Slavic republic with a stolen name. And this is because their heads are a pattern that was used extensively in ancient Greek monumental architecture, particularly after the highest artistic achievement of the Erechtheion constructed on the Acropolis of Athens.

(Sorry FYROM)

The Greek Ministry of Culture, which has been keeping us up to date on the excavations, said in an announcement that the face of the western caryatid is saved almost intact whereas the face of the eastern caryatid is missing.

Their positioning is such to symbolically prevent entry to the tomb, while the technique used is the same with the two sphinxes' already found during the excavations.

Archaeologists also discovered traces of red and blue color referring to Kore female statues on the figures.

The arrangement of the tomb's second entrance, featuring the Caryatids, is another unexpected surprise and only hightens the excitement that the monument is of exceptional and major importance.

We here at HellasFrappe have featured various opinions about who may be buried at Amphipolis, and although we want to believe that it may be Alexander the Great, we will be just as pleased if it is Roxane and/or someone else in the royal family. We are not alone. Andrew Chugg, the author of “The Quest for the Tomb of Alexander the Great,” told Discovery recently that the the tomb could possibly belong to Olympia, Alexander the Great’s mother, or his wife, Roxane.

His raises a good argument, since both Macedonian queens died at Amphipolis in the last quarter of the fourth century, which coincides with the date of the tomb.

Nonetheless we here at HellasFrappe are still hopeful that it could be Alexander's tomb and after the findings this weekend we are actually beginning to believe it. This is because we know that Alexander was a proud admirer of Athenian culture. His father King Phillip also admired the southern Greeks and that is probably why he hired the philosopher Aristotle to tutor his son.

It is true that Phillip took advantage of the disunity of the Greek city states, defeating an Athens that was paralyzed by political infighting, in the battle of Chaeronia in 338 BC. putting an end to the Delian league, but let us not forget that he then unified all the Greeks to the south of his kingdom in Pella.

When Phillip was assassinated in 336, Alexander immediately marched south with his armies in a campaign to solidify control of Greece. He united the Greeks as well as those in Asia Minor and then began his travels eastward where he conquered Greece's great enemy Persia, as well as the lands of Egypt and as far as India.

Did Alexander have the Caryatids in mind when he sent 300 Persian shields to Athens after his triumph at the Battle of Granicus, or when he asked for atonement at Delphi for killing 6,000 Thebans in retaliation for an uprising in 335 BC?

Who knows.

We will soon find out.

Editor's Note - We here at HellasFrappe understand the agony that FYROManians must feel these days - and we don't even want to analyze how this heightened after the findings last weekend. They must be in a complete nail-biting frenzy! We could just see Gruevski and his friend George Soros going frantic! It is probably very difficult for them to digest the fact that those two female guardians at this sacred tomb are of GREEK design -or Athenian- indicating the GREEKNESS of Macedonia's glory. This fact alone should finally force Gruevski to sh**t the hell up and get used to his country's given name which is Vardar! As for Soros... Expect him to use his fluffy-named humanitarian organizations to begin attacking Greece on a number of issues if the grave actually does belong to Alexander. Humans Right Watch is going to slam down hard on us, but hey... it is a small price to pay when we once again prove to the whole world that Macedonia IS, WAS and WILL ALWAYS be GREEK. Our advice to them: Suck it up buttercup!

Police Rescue Woman Held Hostage For 8 Years in Kallithea

An incredible story circulated in the Greek press at the weekend, claiming that Greek authorities discovered and rescued a 36-year-old woman who was being held hostage in an apartment in Kallithea (a southern Athenian suburb) by a 77-year-old woman who acted as her care-taker and her 50-year-old male relative. Reports noted that the poor woman was orphaned in 2006 and suffers from a series of medical conditions.

What is worse, she was kept on balcony, chained so she could not escape. As a result of the serious abuse that she was subjected to, the 36-year-old woman lost her let leg.

The 77-year-old and 50-year-old had managed to extract the victim’s real estate property and collected her pension for the past eight years.

The victim was found in a very poor condition. She was apparently saved after neighbors noticed her and contacted the authorities.

Article and Photo in Greek - Newsit

Rise Of Illegal Immigrants Crossing Into Greece, Set To Increase Even More

It was recently announced that the numbers of illegal immigrants crossings through Greek and/or European sea borders have risen dramatically due to ongoing economic migration, but also on account of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Addressing reporters at a recent press conference, Greek Minister of Shipping Miltiades Varvitsiotis said that the number of people trying to cross into Greece is expected to triple by the end of 2014 over the same period last year, with 10,500 detained in 2013, while the number reached 17,000 in the first eight months of 2014.

The Greek state is expected to continue with patrols and checks to protect its borders, Varvitsiotis added, and "will not give up trying to save all lives at sea." However, the minister added, the dramatic increase of crossings and the cost of search and rescue operations, including hospitality, have placed a large strain on operational capability and effectiveness.

      "We have reached our limits. The risk is to have more incidents at sea," he noted.

This is why the Greek state submitted a request for additional EU funding, said the Minister, in order to address the increased operating expenses as well as all growing staff requirements.

Source in Greek - NEWS247

FIBA World Cup: Greek Nat. Basketball Team Unstoppable - Beats Argentina 79-71

Greece's national basketball team finished the group stage of the World Cup in Spain on Thursday night without suffering any loses, after managing to overcome Argentina (79-71). A tight defensive line which managed to restrict the South American team to 71 points from their 87 point average in the competition, was certainly paramount to the Greek victory.

Giannis Bourousis was the star player for the Greek team, and for good reason. He achieved a “double-double” by scoring 16 points and collecting 15 rebounds. Fotis Katsikaris, the coach of the Greek national team, was also pleased to see guards Nick Calathes and Nikos Zisis excel as well. On the other, Luis Scola stood out with 17 points and 7 three-point shots from the Argentina team.

Our national team set its own pace early on the game, managing to secure a double-figure advantage from the first quarter (28-16). Argentina fought back and even managed to take a three-point lead (28-31) at some point in the second quarter, but a 13-point streak allowed the Greek team to finish the first half with a 11-point advantage (44-33).

The second half was just as exciting. Greece continued to dominate the game, with Argentina trying to make a come back  but thanks to impressive plays by Calathes, Bourousis, Printezis and Papanikolaou, the Greek national team finished the third quarter 14-points ahead (64-50).

There was a lot of nail biting in the final quarter when Argentina began to play even more aggressively and because of this was able to take a 2-point lead. Even so, the Greek team struck back and with a quick 7 points killed off Argentina’s hopes for a last minute win.

After the winning all five games in the Group phase Greece finished at the top of Group B and was tied with Serbia, which finished fourth in Group A.

These two teams are now expected to face off in Madrid on Sunday (7pm) against one another in the Round of 16 knock phase.

Incredibly rare papyrus discovered which refers to The Last Supper

It has laid largely unstudied in a university library for more than 100 years. But now a 1,500-year-old papyrus has been identified as one of the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms. The remarkable document contains some of the earliest documented references to The Last Supper and sheds new light on early Christian practices, experts say.

Faint lettering on the back of the charm is thought to be a receipt for the payment of grain tax which was certified by a tax collector from the village of Tertembuthis, outside the ancient city of Hermopolis, in modern el-Ashmunein, marked on the map at 'A'

The document was rediscovered in the University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library.

It is the earliest surviving document to use the Christian Eucharist liturgy - which describes The Last Supper - as a protective charm.

The ‘magical’ words are written on a recycled piece of papyrus, which was originally used as a grain tax receipt.

Dr Roberta Mazza, a Research Fellow of the John Rylands Research Institute, came across the Greek ‘amulet’ while trawling through thousands of fragments of unpublished historical documents that are kept inside the library’s vaults.

She believes that the charm casts important new light on early Christianity - just 300 years after the Roman emperor Constantine converted to the religion.

It shows how Christians adopted the ancient Egyptian practice of wearing amulets to protect the wearer against dangers.

This practice of writing charms on pieces of papyrus was continued by the Christians who replaced the prayers to Egyptian and Greco-Roman gods with extracts from the Bible.

Dr Mazza used spectral imaging techniques to reveal that the charm was written on recycled papyrus.

Faint lettering on the back of the charm is thought to be a receipt for the payment of grain tax which was certified by a tax collector from the village of Tertembuthis, outside the ancient city of Hermopolis, in modern el-Ashmunein.

Dr Mazza explained:

     "The amulet maker would have cut a piece of the receipt, written the charm on the other side and then he would have folded the papyrus to be kept in a locket or pendant.
     "It is for this reason the tax receipt on the exterior was damaged and faded away."

The document had been held at the library since 1901, but no-one had realised its significance.

Dr Mazza said:

     "This is an important and unexpected discovery as it’s one of the first recorded documents to use magic in the Christian context and the first charm ever found to refer to the Eucharist - the last supper - as the manna of the Old Testament.

(The text of the amulet is a combination of biblical passages including Psalm 78:23-24 and Matthew 26:28-30 among others.)

It includes the words:

     "Our God prepared a sacred table in the desert for the people and gave manna of the new covenant to eat, the Lord’s immortal body and the blood of Christ poured for us in remission of sins."

Dr Mazza said that some Christians still use passages from the Bible as protective charms, so the amulet marks the beginning of a trend in Christianity.

A fresh look at Christian practices: 
The remarkable document contains some of the earliest documented references to The Last Supper and sheds new light on early Christian practices, experts say.

A fresh look at Christian practices: 
The ‘remarkable’ document contains some of the earliest documented references to The Last Supper and sheds new light on early Christian practices, experts say. An image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous mural is pictured

      "Though we know almost nothing about the owner of the charm, we think it could have been owned by a resident of the village nearby Hermopolis (el-Ashmunein),’ she said.
      "We can say this is an incredibly rare example of Christianity and the Bible becoming meaningful to ordinary people - not just priests and the elite.
      "It’s doubly fascinating because the amulet maker clearly knew the Bible, but made lots of mistakes: some words are misspelled and others are in the wrong order. This suggests that he was writing by heart rather than copying it.
      "It’s quite exciting. Thanks to this discovery, we now think that the knowledge of the Bible was more embedded in sixth century AD Egypt than we previously realised."

HOW IS THE FIND SIGNIFICANT?

• The papyrus contains some of the earliest documented references to The Last Supper.
• It is also one of the first recorded documents to use magic in the Christian context.
• It would have been folded up inside a locket or pendant, worn by someone in the hope it protected them.
• It shows how Christians adopted the ancient Egyptian practice of wearing amulets to protect the wearer against dangers.
• This practice of writing charms on pieces of papyrus was continued by the Christians who replaced the prayers to Egyptian and Greco-Roman gods with extracts from the Bible.
• The papyrus also shows the extent to which Christianity had spread in Egypt 1,500 years ago.
• The charm would have been worn by an ordinary person - probably not a priest.
• Some Christians still use passages from the Bible as protective charms, so the amulet marks the beginning of a trend in Christianity.

WHAT DOES THE CHARM SAY? 

The full text of the papyrus reads:

      "'Fear you all who rule over the earth. Know you nations and peoples that Christ is our God. For he spoke and they came to being, he commanded and they were created; he put everything under our feet and delivered us from the wish of our enemies. Our God prepared a sacred table in the desert for the people and gave manna of the new covenant to eat, the Lord’s immortal body and the blood of Christ poured for us in remission of sins."

OCC247

Samaras addresses NATO summit

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Thursday addressed the NATO summit taking place in Newport, Wales and expressed Greece's determination to contribute to the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan, in the framework of the United Nations and NATO.

The Greek Prime Minister made a special reference to migrant flows from Afghanistan, highlighting the need to deal with the country's problems. He also urged the Afghan government to take all necessary measures to secure its borders and stem migrant flows.

Earlier in the afternoon, Samaras met with his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama on the sidelines of the NATO summit, in a meeting also attended by Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos. Samaras said the Greek government was pleased with the fact that Albania was granted EU candidate status.

He also raised two important issues: firstly, the human rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania and the problems arising as a result of administrative reform in the country; secondly, the bilateral agreement to determine the sea borders between the two countries, which should be based on international law.

Samaras asked Rama to personally intervene in the issue of the Greek minority so that the problems in the region of Himara can be dealt with, while criticizing the nationalist reactions of the Chams. He also underlined that respecting human rights forms part of the EU accession process.

Rama, on his part, thanked the Greek premier for the country's support to Albania and, with respect to minority issues, said that he personally guaranteed the respect of human rights. He also assured the Greek side that there was no intention to harm the Greek minority.

Moreover, Rama referred to the risks from a sharp rise of religious fundamentalism in the region and stressed the good cooperation between the police forces of the two countries in fighting crime.

In addition to two meetings on Afghanistan, Samaras would also attend a meeting on the crisis in Ukraine and the dinner for heads of state and government on Thursday evening. On Friday morning at 11:00, he would also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

(ANA-MPA)

Secrets of Agia Sophia Featured in Dan Brown’s "Inferno"

Dan Brown’s latest novel "Inferno" sends protagonist Robert Langdon (rumored to soon be played by Tom Hanks again) to Constantinople and to Agia Sophia. The plot begins to unfold on page 334. Brown’s tweedy Harvard iconographer Robert Langdon turns to Sienna Brooks – a British-born misfit genius who gallops around the world with him in his adventures – that they are "in the wrong country”. And off they go to Turkey and to Constantinople. Once there, and under the gilded dome of the cathedral-mosque-museum of Agia Sophia, we learn that the traditions of East and West are not as divergent as we might think.

His choice to focus on the mysteries of Agia Sofia are surely plenty. The dome and minarets of this sacred site are the symbols of Constantinople. This is the only building in the world to have served as a Catholic Cathedral and as the seat of two religions, Greek Orthodox Christianity and Sunni Islam and before all of that even paganism.

The building which we all see today is to a great extent, despite the rebuilding work carried out after regular earthquakes, the building that was consecrated on December 27th, 537 by Roman Emperor Justinian. It would be the greatest church in Christendom for a thousand years, until St. Peter’s in Rome was completed.

Agia Sophia’s massive dome and gigantic proportions were believed by many to have been the work of the divine. It heavily influenced the architecture of mosques and churches and it’s grandeur was said to have led Russia to convert to Orthodox Christianity, over Catholicism.

Relics such as the shroud of Mary, nails from the true cross and the tombstone of Jesus were some of its treasures, until the city was ransacked during the Fourth crusade.

The secrets of Agia Sophia are as follows:

•     The current building of Agia Sophia is the third structure constructed at the exact same location. After the construction of the first two, this “great church” (Megale Ekklesia) was constructed. It wasn’t called Agia Sophia at first; it was actually called the Great Church for a long time.
•     Agia Sophia is The East Roman Patriarchate Church. St. Sinod Assembly had been convened at the rooms located in the South front aisle of the Agia Sophia.
•     The second Agia Sophia’s West wall ground work are available for viewing, and some monumental parts of it welcome the visitors with lambs that symbolize the apostles.
•     In addition to Agia Sophia’s main construction, two other buildings that are predicted to be baptisteries and that date back much longer than the main construction itself exist. One of these is located in the northeast and is referred to as the treasure building, whereas the other baptistery is located in the southwest.
•     The Agia Sophia includes pieces belonging to Anatolian and Middle Eastern civilizations that date back to the Eastern Roman period, Western Roman period and even the Pagan period. These include the Beautiful Door dating back to second century B.C from Tarsus as well as cubes, countless columns, marbles and many more artifacts from the Hellenistic period.
•     The Agia Sophia includes not only priests and patriarchs but also a monastery, situated close to the main courtyard, where many priests resided.
•     The main ground where Agia Sophia rests has been elevated with the remains from old buildings and construction residue, and the square rests on a foundation of several civilizations’ remains.
•     The Agia Sophia is the site where Byzantine Emperors were crowned. They would be welcomed by the patriarch and crowned in a designated area within the church naos.
•     All the mosaics within the Agia Sophia contain human figures and date back to 842 A.D. All pieces from previous periods have been destroyed due to iconoclasm.
•     Particular pieces within the Agia Sophia were taken outside of Turkey during different periods and are now being exhibited in various museums in Europe.

Divers Attempt to Unravel Mysteries Beneath Agia Sophia

Goksel Gulensoy tried to reveal the hidden secrets of Agia Sophia lying beneath the surface in his new documentary. Along with a team of two divers and four spelunkers they dove in the waters under this historical for Christianity Church to learn more about the reservoirs which are connected to Topkapi Palace and Underground Cistern.

Although he began his studies in 1998, he was  only able to complete his 50 minute documentary (titled In the Depths of Agia Sophia) in 2009.

He was the first to explore the reservoir close to the entrance, (which is apparently 12 meters deep). While investigating the area, the divers discovered two thick pieces of wood as well as a bucket which they claim turned into dust when they were touched.

In the second reservoir the divers found a dozen flasks that were dated from 1917, glass from chandeliers, a chain with two rings and various pieces of stained glass.

The International Speleological Society of Bogazici then began searching of the tunnels under the main hall of Agia Sophia. They found two stone tunnels towards to Sultanahmet Square and Topkapi Palace. Both ends of the tunnel split into two after 50 meters but the passages were blocked.

One member of the search team, Aydin Menderes, moved towards the direction of Topkapi Palace until he spotted daylight between the stones. He then used a pen camera and saw that he had reached the palace yard. He then returned to enter yet another tunnel which led to two more rooms.

While there, he discovered various broken jugs and the remains that are expected to belong to the grave site of St Antinegos who was the first to be buried in Agia Sophia. At the same time they also apparently found the remains of Patriarch Athanasius.

References - OCC247 and the National Turk

Greek Historian on Amphipolis: "The tomb belongs to Alexander the Great"

While the world waits anxiously for archaeologists to finally reveal who is burried at the sacred tomb in Amphipolis, many archeologists and prominent figures are giving their own theories as to who was actually laid to rest there.

Joining the international speculation, and while speaking on the evening news on Alpha TV on Tuesday night, historian and author Sarantos Kargakos said that he is convinced that the tomb belongs to Alexander the Great.

     "The monument shows that this tomb belongs to a very eminent man. Who was more eminent than Alexander? " he asked.
      "(Alexander the Great's mother) Olympias would never have left the side of the remains of her son. It just reaffirms my belief that my hunch is true," he argued.

He further explained:

     "The fact that she did not go to Babylon, where the remains of Alexander were hosted for two years nor attended his transfer from Alexandria to Babylon makes me believe that this woman who ruled Macedonia until 316, may have secretly transferred the relics of her son to Macedonia. "

A few days before making this statement on Alpha Channel, the prominent historian also made the same statements on ANT1 Channel. (VIDEO BELOW)

Athens Slams Unacceptable Comments By Erdogan On Cyprus

The Greek government slammed the calls by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a “two-state” solution to the Cyprus problem and claims that Athens is not “doing its duty” as a guarantor power, desvribing them as “disappointing” and something that only confirms "Ankara’s persistence in its aggressive policy” on Cyprus.

Press reports said that the Turkish President opposed the prospect for a settlement based on a bi communal, bi zonal federation, while addressing a joint news conference in the Turkish-occupied north of Nicosia with Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

The same reports in the Greek press note that Erdogan denied receiving a letter from Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, which was delivered to him at his inauguration ceremony in Ankara last week by Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Apparently when Erdogan arrived in the occupied north of the island, he was quoted as saying that Ankara would “not allow Turkish Cypriots to be incorporated within the Greek-Cypriot state as a minority” and then he called on Greece and the United Kingdom to intensify efforts to break the deadlock, claiming that “the Cyprus problem will be solved very quickly if Greece does its duty as a guarantor power as Turkey has done.”

Erdogan also pointed out that his country would permit the reopening of a former Greek Orthodox seminary near Constantinopole if the government of Athens finally allowed the construction of traditional mosques with minarets in the capital to begin as well as gave its consent to the Muslim communities in Thrace, northern Greece, to directly appoint their own muftis.

His statements were slammed by the Greek government and in a strongly worded statement the spokesman of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Koutras, accused the Turkish President of attempting to “equate certain of Greece’s international obligations with Turkey’s heavy burden of responsibility regarding the Cyprus issue”, and described the parallel as “historically and legally groundless and, thus, politically unacceptable.”

Evidence suggests that tomb at Amphipolis was not looted

Evidence suggests that the tomb at Ancient Amphipolis may have not been looted, Culture Minister Constantinos Tasoulas said on Tuesday on MEGA Channel.

     "The landfill in the interior of the antechamber was made to protect the grave," Tasoulas said.

He added that:

      "the final answer will be given by the archaeological research....we must see the grave before we say for sure".

The Culture Minister pointed out that the finds in Amphipolis are good news that "Greek people deserve" adding that the ancient Greek culture and history is a source of pride for the Greeks.

5.7 Earthquake Shakes Peloponnese, Strongly Felt in Athens & Crete

An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale rocked the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese on Friday morning, at 6:45 a.m. The epicenter was said to be at 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of Sparta and 140 kilometres (87 miles) south of Athens (or between the island of Milos and Sparta).

The jolt was so strong and so long-lasting that it was strongly felt as far as Athens and Crete.

Immediately after the primary quake, an aftershock measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale occurred in the same area.

Until the time of this report, no damages and/or injuries have been reported.

*Story could be updated as more information is released.

Aegean Airlines To Add Seven More Aircraft To Its Fleet

Greece's Aegean Airlines signed a firm contract with Airbus for two additional A320ceo aircraft, adding to a previous order for that it had made for five A320s aircraft which was placed in September 2007.

All aircraft, according to a company press release, are going to be equipped with Airbus “Sharklet” fuel saving wing tip devices and set to be powered by IAE V2500 engines. The aircraft are also going to be the first A320s in Aegean’s fleet to feature the enhanced take-off weight capability of up to 78 tonnes, thus enabling the carrier to expand its route network with even longer range operations.

This new order is expected to strengthen the airline’s network that reaches today 205 international routes from its eight Greek bases (scheduled and charter flights), thus supporting tourism in Greece.

It should be noted that Aegean Airlines was named for the fourth year in a row as the Best Regional Airline in Europe at the 2014 World Airline Awards. At present, the company operates an all-Airbus single-aisle fleet of 36 Airbus A320 family aircraft including 17 directly purchased.

Tomb At Amphipolis: Video Shows Grandeur of Excavations

A new video was just released capturing the work that is currently underway at Amphipolis in Northern Greece where archaeologists believe that either a high ranking general, Roxanne and Alexander's son Alexander, or even Alexander the Great himself may be buried. The video, which was filmed at a high altitude from the ENA channel, shows the spectacular size and the grandeur of the excavations.

At present, the Culture Ministry says that the archaeologists involved in this operation are placing their focus on the maintenance and protection of the findings. Over the next few days they are expected to secure and preserve all the artifacts that will be unearthed.

Greeks Fight Alongside Ukraine's Donetsk People’s Republic

Volunteers from Greece are among the representatives of various nationalities in the ranks of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) indepedence forces, the Athens Courier newspaper reported. According to the newspaper, there is a large community of Greeks in the east of Ukraine, who have suffered as much as other residents of the region and many of them fled for Russia’s Rostov and Kuban regions.

     “Pontic Greeks, who live in Greece, should be concerned with the fate of the Greeks living in Mariupol, which is trapped under the shelling [and other firing] of the Kiev-Lviv punishers,” the paper reported.

It is also noted in the paper that apart from Greeks, two battalions of Serbs and even 25 US citizens are fighting for “traditional human values” alongside militia in southeast Ukraine.

According to earlier reports, within the Vostok Battalion, DPR’s most prominent defense force, are volunteers from Spain, Italy, France, Spain, Canada, Russia and Poland.

The former DPR Prime Minister Alexander Borodai stated on his Facebook webpage that volunteers are especially needed to help residents and for the restoration of infrastructure in the region.

Since mid-April the Ukrainian government has been conducting a military operation in the east of Ukraine to suppress independence supporters who refused to acknowledge the new government that came to power after a coup that took place in Ukraine on February 22.

Thousands of civilians have died as a result of the confrontation. Moscow has repeatedly condemned the operation and urged for a ceasefire to prevent further casualties, sending a humanitarian convoy to war-torn eastern Ukraine, delivering about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid.

RIA Novosti

Ladies Get Ready For The Convertible Shoe - Thanks To Greek Innovation!

Ladies the debate on whether to wear heels or flats is a thing of the past! A few students at the Democritus University in Thrace actually created a convertible high-heel shoe that puts an end to our dilemma on whether or not to wear flats or spiky heels.

     “This product is aimed at making women feel comfortable and elegant,” said Loukas Karakikes, one of the young inventors of the new shoes that include a special mechanism that can turn the high heel into a flat shoe and vice versa. 

According to the sate news agency, the idea came to the young team after looking at the market and women’s daily routines and noticed that women’s lives are very busy.

     “They go to work, they go out for coffee, drinks and entertainment and this requires different outfits and, specifically, different shoes.”

They joined their knowledge and skills and presto... the convertible shoe was invented!

Presently, the students are trying to market their invention and have created SkyWalker, a new company focused on convertible shoes.

Bravo to all three of them.

Univ. of Crete Analyzes New Test That Might Predict Premature Birth

Testing for the presence of specific molecules present in the urine of pregnant women can give an indication in early pregnancy of whether a baby will be born premature or the fetus will suffer poor growth, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. Identifying these conditions early in pregnancy could potentially help reduce complications and manage any difficulties, although more work is needed before the findings can be translated to clinical settings.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Crete analyzed the metabolites - small molecules excreted in urine - of 438 pregnant women in the Rhea cohort. They found that elevated urinary levels of the amino acid lysine were associated with spontaneous premature birth. In contrast, increased levels of a N-acetylated glycoprotein – a molecule consisting of a carbohydrate and a protein - tended to be found in women who had to be induced early. Decreased levels of a third group of molecules: acetate, formate, tyrosine and trimethylamine were associated with poor fetal development. Women with decreased levels of these urine metabolites also showed signs of an increased risk of diabetes, such as higher blood insulin.

The Rhea cohort is a large population case-control mother-child study that started in Crete in 2007. Urine samples were collected early in pregnancy at the first ultrasound appointment. Preterm birth and fetal growth restriction has been shown to increase the chance of developing metabolic and cardiovascular disorders later in life.

Hector Keun, lead researcher from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, says: "While we know that metabolism in the mother changes substantially during pregnancy to help supply the growing fetus with nutrients, we were surprised to see so early in pregnancy a link between metabolites that we could easily detect in a urine sample and low birthweight. Our findings imply that it could be possible to improve the identification of women at higher risk of delivering smaller babies or premature delivery using non-invasive metabolic profiling technology early in pregnancy."

Further research needs to focus on whether changes in these metabolites are induced by pregnancy or indicate an underlying risk factor. It also remains to be seen if these results can be applied to a wider population and more research is needed before any such test could be used in practice.

Hector Keun says: "Future investigation of the factors that produce the molecules associated with these pregnancy outcomes should improve our understanding of the genetic and environmental factors that influence restricted fetal growth and thus help us to reduce the likelihood of these events. We will also go on to test if exposure to these metabolites during pregnancy has a lasting impact on child development after birth."