Euchaita

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Euchaita was a town (polisma) in the northern Asia minor. Specifically it was in the province of Pontus. Nikephoros Uranos held power there for a time. Today the Turkish village, which partly lies on the ruins, is called Beyözü. This is part of the modern Turkish province of Çorum (in the subprovince of Mecitözü). Saint Theodore of Amasea's remains were taken here after his martyrdom. He is sometimes called Theodore of Euchaita because his cult became so strong in this city. In fact it reached the point in the Middle Ages that at time the city was called Theodropolis, because reverencing Theodore was so common in the city.

There was a church built here under the instructions of Emperor John I Tzimisces. It was a favorite place to banish political and religious opponents during the Byzantine empire. The church of St. Theodore was devastated by Arab invasions in the seventh century. During reconquest by Byzantine in 622 Euchaita was burned-down. It also suffered earthquakes during this general time period.

In the late 11th Century Euchaita fell to the Beyalik dynasty of Turks.

In the early 21st Century, the town became the focus of an interdisciplinary archaeological project (the Avkat Archaeological Project[1]), under the direction of John Haldon of Princeton University. Additional institutions contributing resources and personnel include Trent University, the College of Charleston, the University of Birmingham, Ankara University, and the Middle East Technical University (Ankara).

[edit] Sources

• Raymond Janin: La géographie ecclésiastique de l'Empire Byzantin 1.3: Le siège de Constantinople et le patriarcat oecuménique: les églises et les monastères , Paris 1969 ², P. 148-155. * Franc Trombley: The Decline OF the seventh century town: the exception OF Euchaita , in: Byzantine Studies in Honor of Milton Vth Anastos, OD. Spyros Vryonis, Jr., Malibu 1985, P. 65-90.

Wikipedia in German.