1. Introduction

Philadelpheia (today Alaşehir) formed the seat of one of the oldest dioceses of Asia Minor, which existed as early as the era of the Apostles (1^st century AD). During Late Antiquity, the Early and Byzantine period it belonged to the ecclesiastic province of Lydia and was depended by its capital, Sardis. It was annexed from the diocese of Sardeis and was promoted into a diocese during the period of the reign of Isaakios II Angelos (1185-1195).¹

2. Late Byzantine period

The later ecclesiastic history of the diocese of Philadelpheia is characterized by the particular conditions which influence the Christian populations of Asia Minor due to the expansion of the Muslim rule and of the struggle of the Byzantines to prevent it. The consequent ware of the Christian population was followed by the decline of the ecclesiastic authorities, which resulted in rendering inactive many old bishoprics; this is noted also in the region of Lydia, even concerning the diocese of Sardeis, which was absorbed by the diocese of Philadelpheia in 1382.² Since Philadelpheia managed to avoid the fate of the rest of the Byzantine domains in western Asia Minor and to remain outside direct Turkish rule during almost the whole of the 14^th century, until 1390,³ it is natural to assume that the ecclesiastic authorities of the city played an important role during the period of the city’s peculiar independence. Indeed, this is attested by Nikephoros Gregoras for the metropolitan Theoleptos (1293-before 1326), whom another text of 1314, characterizes as “saviour of the city”.⁴

A similar role must have been played by the next metropolitan, Makarios Chrysokefalos (1336-1382), a distinguished personality and a scholar, who remained in Philadelpheia during the greatest part of his long service as a metropolitan, apart from the years 1345-1347, 1350-1354, 1365 and 1368, when he was to be found in Constantinople as a member of the Holy Council.⁵ However, from a reference of January 1365, we learn that some “evil and godless” members of the population had turned against the ecclesiastic authority of the city, trespassing most of the church’s possessions and insulting the metropolitan,⁶something which obviously contributed to the departure of the former for Constantinople in the same year. This event, which was harshly condemned by the Patriarchate, probably reflects political and social conflicts which took place in this remote and independent Byzantine city located in the middle of a Muslim domain. The special interest of the Patriarchate for this city of Asia Minor which succeeded in remaining outside the Islamic rule is underlined by the actions undertaken after the death of metropolitan Makarios in 1382, when there was an immediate effort to fill the position with the election of the metropolitan of Kotyaion (this could have been Nyphon who is mentioned as the metropolitan of Kotyaion in 1370); the former soon assumed his duties (1385) as well as the administration of Hierapolis and Synada (Kotyaion however was then ceded to the metropolitan of Laodicea and in 1386 to the metropolitan of Prousa).⁷

3. Early Ottoman period

The subjugation of the city to Muslim rule (1390) takes place in a rather peaceful manner, since there are no indications of a serious depletion of the Christian population. This is indicated by the fact that in May 1394 a new metropolitan was appointed (his name was probably Paulos), to whom also Kula and Kolis are ceded, whereas the jurisdiction of the metropolitan of Philadelpheia over Synada is maintained. From a regulation of the same year, according to which the metropolitan of Philadelpheia had to pay to the Patriarchate 20 hyperpyra every year, from which 15 had been already paid in the same year, it appears that notwithstanding the important change which had taken place in the political and social regime of the city the metropolis did not lack any income.⁸ A substantial blow was taken by the Christian element of the city during its conquest by the Tamerlane (1402), when it is documented that the metropolitan was forced to change his religion; however, the Christian population of the city did not disappear and later the city continued having metropolitans, as it is inferred by its documentation in the berat documents of 1483 and 1525.⁹ Two metropolitans of the 16^th century are known by name, Gabriel (1561) and Sofronios (1575), who is the last metropolitan of the city during this phase of its history.¹⁰

Probably due to the further numerical fall of the Christian element of the region, the diocese becomes inactive (the same happens with the diocese of nearby Laodicea in the same period) and from 1577 the title of the metropolitan of Philadelpheia is taken by the prelate of the Orthodox community of Venice, with Gabriel Seviros being the first one (1577-1616).

4. Late Ottoman period

The period of the inactivity of the diocese of Philadelpheia and of the ceding of its prelate title to the prelate of the Greek-Orthodox of Venice lasted for almost one and a half century, until the beginning of the 18^th century; then new prelates started being sent to the original diocese, obviously due to the demographic and financial revival of the Orthodox element, which had not stopped existing in the city of Philadelpheia (Alaşehir) and in other places of Lydia and Phrygia (e.g. Kula, Denizli etc.), although it had in the meantime become Turkish-speaking.¹¹

This renaissance of the Christian element undoubtedly takes place during the 19^th century, something which was aided by the existence of important merchant crossroads in the region, which resulted in the development of cities, such as Salihli and Uşak, in which a substantial number of Christians had gathered (it is characteristic that in Salihli, where there was no Christian minority until 1870, Christians reached the number of 1,100 before 1905).¹² Accordıng to the Greek census published in the journal Xenophanis in 1905, the diocese of Philadelpheia included 19 Orthodox communities that were constituted mainly of Turkish-speaking Christians, with a total Orthodox population of 14,003 people, 25 parish churches and 23 priests. The most important of these communities were the ones of Philadelpheia (4,000 people), Kula region (2,800), Uşak (2,000), Denizli (1,600) and Salihli (1,100), whereas also the large community which had been established in Afyon Karahisar by Orthodox who had recently settled there belonged to the diocese of Philadelpheia; this community until 1905 had no school, church or priest.¹³