The name of Burgaz Island (Burğazlu) was put by the Turkish Admiral and Scholar Piri Reis!

The name Antigone, the first name of which was Panormu, was put into Burgaz Island by Demotirius, the son of Antigone and one of Alexander's generals for the sake of his father, when he was victorious in the battle with Lizmak. Later, the Turkish sailor, Piri Reis, named the Burgazlu here because of an existing tower on the island. Over time, only Burgaz remained from Burgazlu.

Burgaz Island (Antigoni) & Kaşıkadası (Pita)

The historical fame of Burgaz Island comes from Patriarch Methodius, the most famous of the victims. Since Keke Mişel came to Istanbul after the Byzantine throne, 700 priests were shot and exiled to Burgaz Island because he was a member of the Orthodox sect and propoganized this sect. The Aya Yani church overlooking Kaşıkadası (Pita) was closed in a stone sarcophagus. He was given two rogue bandits as a guard. The prisoner's food was given through a hole in the upper part of the sarcophagus.

The priest who lived here for seven years was taken back to the palace in the time of Teofil. A monastery and a church were built where he was imprisoned. When he died, he was buried there. After the Islamic conquest, the church was rebuilt in wood as usual, but the main place of worship, which was built from the time of Methodius and built where the priest was placed in the sarcophagus, preserved its medieval form.

The church has been rebuilt in the past years as masonry. The sarcophagus where the priest was placed and the staircase leading to the sarcophagus were restored. Above the sarcophagus, the hole where the priest was given food was covered with an iron cage. A cistern called holy spring remained from the present monastery next to the church.

The Patriarch Methodius, called "The Confessor", was the saint most admired for the Greek church because of his determination and patience in defending the Orthodox sect.

The Muslim people of the island, who were holding twenty-five households, had a very cute, minimal mosque built a few years ago.

Now they are trying to build the foundation of the mosque.

Hayat Journal January 1, 1957 No: 1 The first part of Fikret Arıt's article.

Hayat Journal January 1, 1957 No: 1 Fikret Arıt's article.