Gangra

Gangra

A titular see in the province of Paphlagonia; in the native tongue the word signifies goat, and even now large numbers of goats are seen in this region. It belonged originally to Galatia, and was then the capital of King Dejotarus, the adversary of Mithridates, and the friend of the Romans. Later the city became the metropolis of Paphlagonia. It never had more than five suffragan sees. Le Quien (I, 549-554) mentions twenty-two of its archbishops from the fourth to the twelfth century, none of whom is especially noteworthy. The metropolitan see must have been suppressed in the fourteenth century after the conquest of the country by the Turks. Captured by the Tamerland, in 1402, it was recaptured, in 1423, by Sultan Murad II; since that time it has always been Turkish. The most memorable event of its Christian history is the council held there, probably in 343, to condemn Eustathius of Armenia and his exaggerated asceticism. More than twenty canons of this council defend the legitimacy of Christian marriage against the indiscretions of Eustathius and especially of his disciples (Hefele-Leclercq, Histoire des conciles, Paris, 1907, I (2), 1029-45). It is now known as Tchiangre, and is a sandjak of the vilayet of Castamouni. It is situated at the foot of Mt. Olgassus and numbers 16,000 inhabitants, 800 of whom are Greeks and 500 Armenians, all schismatics. The ancient cathedral of St. Demetrius has been converted into a mosque.

S. VAILHÉ