The Consulate General of Malta in Istanbul, Turkey, celebrated the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck at the Franciscan conventual church of St Antoine in Beyolu, central Istanbul.

Consul General Reuben Gauci and his wife Olga welcomed members of the Maltese community resident in Istanbul or visiting the city to attend Mass, followed by a reception.

An exhibition on the cult of St Paul in Malta was also set up at this church, which is visited by hundreds of tourists of various faiths on a daily basis.

Gauci said the tradition of celebrating St Paul’s feast in Istanbul had reached its third year. He said that St Paul, while being renowned in Malta as father of the faith, was born in Tarsus, today’s Republic of Turkey.

He thanked the mayor of the municipality of Beyolu, Ahmet Misbah Demircan, for sending a wreath of flowers bearing the colours of the Maltese flag in commemoration of the event.

Gauci said the red and white colours belonged both to the Turkish and Maltese flags and were therefore a symbol of the close and friendly relations between the two countries.

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