There a few people in Greece nowadays who know that one of the founders of the Ottoman and later Turkish Red Crescent was Greek and his name was Marko Pasha (Markos Apostolidis Pitsipios). In fact, his name is still used to this day by Turkish people who use the expression “tell your sorrows to Marko Pasha” in their everyday lives.
On the occasion of tomorrow’s World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day Apostolidis’ great-granddaughter, Despina Anata, spoke with the Greek news agency ANA-MPA.
“Markos Apostolidis, whose real surname was Pitsipios, was the grandfather of my mother. Since I was young my mother used to always talk about him, saying that he was a great man and a doctor and he was the founder of the Red Crescent.”
“His name is even used today in Turkey as a saying: ‘Tell your sorrows to Marko Pasha.’ This expression stuck, because Marko Pasha was a very patient doctor. He used to listen to his patients’ problems for hours with great patience, and always tried to find a cure for their condition but also to reassure and calm them. His fame spread and so when someone had no one to talk to about his problems, they always thought of Marko Pasha,” said Despina Anata.
Markos Apostolidis Pitsipios was born in 1824, on the island of Syros to a rich family. He moved to Istanbul with his family where he studied at the Medical Military Faculty. In 1861 the Sultan Abdulaziz named him chief doctor in the palace and he was also named as director of the Medical school.
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