Thessaloniki_EN

12
1 st walk:
UNESCO BYZANTINE MONUMENTS
9
AGIA AIKATERINI
[St. CATHERINE’s]
CHURCH
This 14 th c. Byzantine church is
situated in the centre of Agia
Aikaterini town quarter in Ano
Poli [Upper City] area (see p.
42) It is a complex tetrastyle
inscribed cross-in-square
five-domed church with an
ambulatory. It bears an elaborate
brick-work on the external
surfaces and outstanding
murals, contemporary to the
construction of the edifice,
which depict figures of saints,
scenes from the Gospel,
miracles of Christ etc. During
the Ottoman Rule the church
was converted into a mosque
(Yakup Pasha Camii) and the
murals were covered in plaster,
to be exposed once again during
the restoration works that took
place in 1947 – 1951.
10 PROFITIS ILIAS
[PROPHET ELIJAH]
CHURCH
This imposing church (late 13 th
– mid 14 th c.) towering over
Olympiados st. in the outskirts
of Ano Poli (see p. 42) is
thought to have been the
main church of Nea Moni [New
Monastery] or Moni Akapniou
[Akapniou Monastery]. It was
situated in the area of the
Byzantine palaces and this
is why the Turks had named
the area Balat (Palace) and
the church Eski Saray Camii
(Old Palace mosque). It is a
tetrastyle cross-in-square
domed church with features
related to the monasterial
architecture of Mount Athos.
The central dome is supported
by granite columns in the
shape of a cross, the building’s
central part was enlarged by
the addition of two conchs
[semi-domes] whereas in
the west section there is a
rectangular cupolaed narthex.
The murals (14 th c.) depict
images of saints and scenes
from the life and miracles of
Christ. Also, at the junction of
Olympiados and Amfilochias
Sts. there is a surviving
ottoman fountain.
11 BYZANTINE BATHS
(KULE KAFE)
It is located on Romfei Sq. (see
p. 43) in Ano Poli and it is the
only surviving Byzantine bath
house, a domed 13 th c. building
made of brick, which was
open to the public until 1940.
During the Ottoman period it
was named Kule Hamam and
was divided in two (male and
female section).
12 HOSIOS DAVID
(MONI LATOMOU)
Moni Latomou [Latomou
Monastery] has a huge
archaeological and historical
value, since it is an early type
of a cross-in-square domed
church. Its construction dates
back to the 5 th or 6 th c. and
it is believed to have been
built by Theodora, daughter
of the Byzantine emperor
Maximilianus, who had been
baptised a Christian. The
monastery was dedicated to
Hosios David [Saint David] in
1921. Especially noteworthy
are the mosaic depictions
on the ceiling which show
the Vision of Ezekiel and
are contemporary to the
construction of the monastery;
the later ones of the 12 th , 13 th
and 14 th c. are also great art
specimens of the Komnenian
period. There is a surviving
minaret entrance built in the
16 th c. when the church was
converted into a mosque. The
small picturesque yard offers
an unobstructed view of the
city and the Thermaic gulf.
13 MONI VLATADON
It is the only Byzantine
monastery in the city with
an active community. It was
founded in the 14 th c. by the
monks Vlatis (or Vlateus)
brothers and was dedicated to
Pantocrator Christos [Almighty
Christ]. Celebrations take
place on the Transfiguration
of Christ feast day. Its main
church [katholikon] is of the
inscribed cross-in-square type
but the dome rests on the
walls and on two piers instead
of columns. It is surrounded
by a portico and there are two
chapels. Murals were painted
during 1360 – 1380 and the
17 th c. iconostasis is particularly
noteworthy. It is surrounded
by a large garden offering a
wonderful view of the city and
there is also a small peacock
farm; in the grounds you will
also find the newer buildings
of Misirogleios Library, the
Patriarchal Foundation for
Theological Studies (1968),
a space provided for the study of
pictorial manuscripts from Mount
Athos, a bookstore and a shop.
1 st walk:
UNESCO BYZANTINE MONUMENTS
13
7 8
7.
Profitis Ilias
Church.
8.
Moni Vlatadon
is right in the
heart of Upper
(Old) City.