The monastery of Kaisariani
Τhe
Monastery of Kaisariani is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It lies on the
western, wooded slope of Mount Hymettus, about two kilometers from the
Municipality of Kaisariani. The monastery is referred to as Kaisariani in a
letter written by Michael Choniatis in 1200; in 1208, having passed into the
hands of Catholic monks, Pope Innocent III refers to it as Santa Syriani.
The monastery answered directly to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and had
secured various privileges and tax exemptions, which led to economic prosperity
in the Byzantine period. This status was maintained during both the Frankish
and Ottoman periods, and is indicative of the great power and influence wielded
by the monastery’s abbots. In 1833 it was dissolved by decree of the regent’s
council under King Otto.
The first centre of Christianity in the area was located on a hill to the
southwest, known as “the Cemetery of the Fathers”. The remains of an early
Christian
basilica dating to the 5th-6th century are still to be
seen at the site, where another church was built in the 10th century. Abutting
this to the south was the Catholic church of St. Mark, built under Frankish
rule and hence known as Frankomonastiro. To the west lies a 17th
century church dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
The monastic community was transferred to its safer present-day location in the
11th century. Of the mid Byzantine buildings only the catholicon
and the baths still survive, the latter being one of the few monastic bath
houses preserved in Greece. The remaining structures (refectory, kitchen,
cells) are of a later date. The cells lie on the south side of the enclosure
wall; archaeological excavations have revealed that they were founded on the
ruins of Byzantine cells. The main wing is now a two-storey building, standing
independent of a three-storey edifice known as the Benizelos Tower.
The church is of the semi-composite four column cross-in-square type,
built of the cloisonné masonry typically found in Greece. The exterior decoration
is austere: though dogtooth courses and cornices run around the dome, there are no kufic ornaments or other decorative brick elements. The dome is
illuminated by eight single-lobed windows surrounded by double brick
arches. One characteristic feature is the outstandingly beautiful large stone
arch in the north arm of the church, built of finely hewn masonry. The apse has
a large biforate window with a plate above it.
On the interior, the columns supporting the dome are from earlier buildings,
while the restored marble templon is contemporary with the church. There
are two different views as to when the catholicon was erected: one
places it in the late 11th century and the other later, in the 12th century.
The wall paintings in the nave date to the early 18th century and are
the work of an accomplished academy-trained artist.
The tripartite domed narthex and the chapel of Agios Antonios to
the south are later additions. The former was erected in the 17th century, and
bears wall paintings dated 1682 by the Peloponnesian painter Ioannis
Ipatis. The murals in the Chapel of Agios Antonios are of the same
period.
Glossary (16)
Paleo-Christian (early Christian) era:
in Byzantine history, the period that typically starts in 330 AD, when Constantine the Great transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to his newly-founded city of Constantinople, and ends with the death of Justinian in 565.
basilica:
type of large church, divided internally into three or more naves. The central nave was usually covered by a raised roof with windows that illuminated the space.
catholicon:
the main church
of
a monastery.
As a rule
it
was the most imposing one, located in the center of the courtyard
semi-complex-cross-in-square church:
Type
of church
where the
central dome
is supported
by four
arches
covering
the extremities
of an equilateral
cross.
Lateral compartments,
covered with
small
domes
or
barrel
vaults,
are formed at
the four
corners
of the cross
and thus the church forms
a cross
inscribed
in a square
or
rectangular
area. Externally the
sign of the
cross is also prominent because of this unique way of covering
the roof.
cloisonne masonry:
elaborate church masonry style, in which rectangular stones are framed by one or two plinths (bricks) laid horizontally and vertically in single or double rows within the mortar of joints.
dogtooth, dentil, saw-tooth or course:
ceramic decorative elements that can be oblong or meet along the crowning of the roof, like frames surrounding windows. Can be single or double.
dome:
hemispherical vault resting on a cylindrical or polygonal drum. Widely used in Christian church architecture.
kufic ornaments:
Decorative motifs, mimicking the first Arabic script to appear in the 7th century in Kufa, Mesopotamia. Usually employed on the external surfaces of churches, rendered in small immured clay tablets.
single-lobed or single-light window:
window with a single opening that forms an arc at the top.
conch (Sanctuary niche):
Niche
in the eastern end
of a basilica. Semicircular on the inside, with a horseshoe shaped, rectangular or polygonal exterior.
double light or biforate window:
window with two openings that form an arc at the top. The openings are usually separated by mullions.
column:
cylindrical, vertical support. Their use started in antiquity and was subsequently adopted by Byzantine churches. Columns from ancient temples were often incorporated into Christian churches. Byzantine examples are usually marble, monolithic and unfluted.
altarscreen or templon:
screen separating the
altar area
from the
rest of the
church. This
can be
of marble
or
wood,
adorned with
wall paintings
and icons depicting Christ,
the Virgin Mary, St. John
the Baptist,
the saint to
whom the church is consecrated,
the Apostles
and other saints.
narthex:
oblong reception area
extending
along
the western side
of a basilica. Originally the east portico
of the atrium,
it was later
incorporated into the
church, and served
as a waiting area for catechumens, who were not allowed to
attend the Divine
Liturgy.
wall paintings or murals:
Painted scenes on a wall or ceiling surface.
chapel:
small
sized church, either
independent, belonging
to a religious foundation, or part of
a larger
church.
In Byzantium chapels were often
used for burials.
Information Texts (1)
The city:
Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine
Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the
triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn,
the Bosporus and the Sea
of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade
routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople
in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome
in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of
space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new
strong walls that protected Constantinople
until the end of the Byzantine Empire.
The
city was laid out after Rome.
A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden
Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue
of Constantine
mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later
built more forums decorated with their own statues.
Following
the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople
with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also
saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served
as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period.
During
the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced
major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in
674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful,
destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building
activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on
strengthening the city's fortifications.
With
the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the
9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became
the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were
Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as
Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with
an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing
homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care
of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted
until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set
in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders.
The
Crusaders left Constantinople entirely
unscathed when first passing through, but in the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the
Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they
did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael
VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved
unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it
was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in
1453 Constantinople finally fell into their
hands.
The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual
tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions
of Crete and the Peloponnese,
as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.
Bibliography (12)
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