Mahir AKKAYA became friends with the European Parliament member Joseph DAUL, a member of the Les Républicains party, who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and as president of the European People’s Party group from 2007 to 2014, a position he still holds since 2013.

Aware of the devout faith of Mr. and Mrs. DAUL, Mahir AKKAYA gifted them a painting depicting ‘The Virgin and Child Jesus’. Dazzled by the beauty and expression of the artwork, they decided not to keep it privately but to offer it to Mount Sainte-Odile, where it is currently displayed.

Subsequently, Mahir AKKAYA visited the site and met with Canon Patrick KOEHLER, the director of the site. He was able to admire the painting, displayed in the corridor connecting the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption chapel, the pilgrims’ snack room, the Saint-Léon IX restaurant, as well as the chapels of Tears and Angels – a must-see passage for all visitors. This is, in fact, the only painting displayed at Mount Sainte-Odile.

It is worth noting that Pope Saint Leo IX is said to have come from Eguisheim, the stronghold of the Duke of Alsace Etichon (or Adalric), the father of Saint Odile and the builder of Mount Sainte-Odile.

Originally from Reichshoffen, where his brother and sister still reside (his mother having recently passed away), Father Patrick KOEHLER had the honor of admiring and blessing the 41 works of the artist during a visit to his home. Moved by the beauty of the paintings and the respect for religious iconography, he, like the archbishops, rectors of holy sites, and the Pope, blessed Mahir AKKAYA’s ring, whose design represents the face of Jesus surrounded by a crown of diamonds and adorned with two Armenian crosses (the first nation to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 315 AD).

Local, national, and international media (print press, television, radio, internet) extensively covered this initiative (see the ‘Press’ section on the website).

Some content is only accessible upon request via email to Mahir AKKAYA.