The Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Dynamis
(Greek: Ι. Ν. ΓΕΝΝΕΣΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ
ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ "ΑΓΙΑ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΣ" (The Holy Power of the Virgin) is located at the intersection of
Mitropoleos and Pentelis streets,
completely surrounded by the modern building of Electra Metropolis Hotel. The barrel-vaulted
Byzantine-style church was erected in the 16th century, in the early years of
Ottoman rule, over the ruins of an ancient temple of Hercules. The name Agia
Dynamis refers to the Virgin Mary and was given to the church so that all
pregnant Athenian women would give birth to strong children. This small church
belongs to the type of one-aisle vaulted basilica. Its walls are densely decorated
with murals depicting several saints, among other things. Under the floor of
the church is a large underground cave approximately 15 m long. According to
legend, the priests had hidden the ecclesiastical treasures and church
documents in this cave during the years of Turkish occupation. During the War
of Greek Independence (1821-30), Greek munitions experts were forced to make
ammunition for the Turks in the cave under the church; however, they were also
able to make large numbers of bullets for the Greek revolutionaries, smuggling
them out at night. The church used to be surrounded by several other buildings that
were demolished following the victory in that war, so that Mitropoleos street
could be widened to serve growing traffic needs. The church was restored in
1912. In the 1950s, the area was again redeveloped, and the Greek government
attempted to obtain the land on which the church sat as part of a planned new
headquarters for the Ministry of Education and Religion. However, the Greek
Orthodox Church refused to surrender the property, so it was decided to build
around and above it, with the church wedged between the supporting pillars of the
modern municipal building that was converted into the Electra Metropolis Hotel
in 2016. In 1963, a bell tower was built over the passage to the cave,
prohibiting access to it.
Next, we came to the Panagía Gorgoepikoös, a small church by Orthodox Mitrópoli Cathedral.
The Panagía Gorgoepikoös is a
domed, cruciform church built entirely from Pentelic marble, now weathered to a
rich corn-colored hue. Dating from the 12th century, it measures only 7.5 m (25
ft) long and 12 m (40 ft) wide. The size of the church was in proportion to
Athens when it was just a village in the 12th century. Adorned with beautiful friezes
and bas-reliefs taken from earlier buildings, the exterior mixes the Classical
and Byzantine styles. The exterior walls have a patina like old ivory with
numerous sculpted marbles. It is a true masterpiece, stealing attention from
its more imposing neighbor. Although dedicated to the Panagía Gorgoepikoös (the
Madonna who Swiftly Hears) and Agios Eleuthérios (the saint who protects women
in childbirth), it is often affectionately known as the Mikri Mitrópoli (Little
Cathedral).
Set in the south façade is a lintel
with two lions on each side of a cross and several Byzantine bas-reliefs with
symbolic animals. There are two Corinthian capitals and an ancient frieze from
a 4th-century BC monument bearing a liturgical calendar. The months are denoted
by their zodiacal signs, starting with pyanapsion (October-November) on
the left. The scenes show the principal feasts celebrated each month—grape harvests,
dances, a cock fight, a Dionysiac procession, nude athletes, the sacrifice of a
bull, and the Greater Panathenaea with a ship’s prow (the Byzantine crosses on
the frieze were evidently added later, in the 12th century). Finally, there are
the coats of arms of the noble La Roche and Villehardouin families.
10:47 AM – Athens: Panagía Gorgoepikoös - main altar with fresco of Virgin and Child above it.
Next, heading one block west and 2 blocks north, we came to the Kapnikaréa church, at the corner of Ermoú and Kalamiótou
streets.
The Kapnikaréa (or Panagía Kapnikaréa), one of the oldest churches in Athens, is a charming 11th-century Byzantine church, perhaps built around 1050. As was common with early Christian churches, it was built over an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the worship of a goddess, possibly Athena or Demeter. Apparently, the church may have originally been the katholikon (chapel) of a monastery. Presently, the building is formed by a complex of three different units attached together: the largest, south church dedicated to the Panagía (Virgin Mary) or the Presentation of Mary to the Temple; the chapel of St. Barbara (Agia Varvara in Greek) on the north side; and the exonarthex (outer part of narthex [entrance area], a court in front of the facade) with the propylaea (gateway) to the west. The larger, south church is a domed complex dated to just after the middle of the 11th century. On the southern side of the outer narthex is a colonnaded porch that dates from the 12th century.
When King Otto I, King of the Kingdom
of Greece, brought a Bavarian architect to draw a new city plan for Athens, the
church was considered for destruction. However, it was rescued from demolition
in 1834, thanks to the timely intervention of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.
Stranded in the middle of a square between Ermoú and Kapnikaréa streets at the
edge of Pláka area, it is surrounded by modern office blocks and shops of Athens’
garment district.
Traditionally called the Church of
the Princess, its foundation is attributed to Empress Irene, who ruled the
Byzantine Empire from 797 to 802 AD. She is revered as a saint in the Greek
Orthodox church for her efforts in restoring icons to the Empire’s churches.
The true origins of the name “Kapnikaréa” are unknown, although according to
some sources, the church was named after its founder, a “hearth-tax collecter”
(kapnikaréas). Hearth tax was imposed on buildings by the Byzantines. However,
the name might also derive from the Greek kapnismeni (meaning “smoked”), due to
the marks of a fire that are evident on the building. Restored in the 1950s,
the dome of the church is supported by four Roman columns. Frescoes by Phótis
Kóntoglou (1895-1965) were painted during the restoration, including one of the
Virgin and Child.
The stunning mosaic of the Virgin
Mary holding the Child Jesus, above the south portico outside the church, was
created by Elli Voila in 1936.
Then we headed down Ermoú street to the west into the Garment District and toward the Flea Market and Hadrian's Library.
Ermoú street (meaning Hermes Street)
is a 1.5 km-long road in central Athens, connecting the Kerameikos
archaeological site with the Syntagma Square through the Monastiráki district. It
was one of the first roads designed in modern Athens and one of the main axes
of Athens’ first town plan of 1833. Parts of it were pedestrianized starting in
1996. With fashion shops and shopping centers promoting most international
brands, it is among the top five most expensive shopping streets in Europe and
the tenth most expensive retail street in the world.
Then we came to Plateía Monastiráki (Monastiráki Square).
Monastiráki (Greek for “Little
Monastery”), northwest of the Pláka district is a district that is part of the
old center of Athens and belongs to the first metropolitan area if the city.
The district includes the Tower of the Winds (1st-century BC) and the remains
of Hadrian’s Library (132 AD) and was the former heart of Ottoman Athens.
The center of the district is the Plateía
Monastiráki (Monastiráki Square). It takes its name from the little sunken Pantánassa
Monastery, formerly located in the area, of which only the Church of the
Pantánassa (including the Koimiseos tis Theotokou Church) remains today. The Monastiráki
Metro Station is located in the square. Next to the metro station is a large
former mosque, the Tzistarákis Mosque.
The Pantánassa Church (or Panagía
Pantánassa) belonged to the small monastery (monastiráki in Greek), which gave
its name to the district. Also known as the church of Koimiseos tis Theotokou (the
Dormition of the Virgin), it was thought to have been built in the 10th century
as the katholikon (chapel) of a now-vanished monastery in Monastiráki Square.
It is situated opposite the Monastiráki Metro Station on the east side of Monastiráki
Square, between Athinas and Mitrtopóleos streets.
The Tzistarákis Mosque, located
on the west edge of Monastiráki Square, was built in 1759 by the then Ottoman
Governor of Athens, Mustafá Agá Tzistarákis. The building was a mosque only for
a few decades until Ottoman rule ended in the early 19th century. At that time,
the minaret of the mosque was demolished, and the building was used for many
different purposes. Since 1918 it has housed a museum of folk art.
Off Monastiráki Square, MT wanted to see the flea market.
Monastiráki is known for its large flea market and bazaar area. It is located on the west side of Monastiráki Square, with Plateía Avissinías (Avissinías Square) at its center. The flea market extends through the surrounding streets. Tourists will find trinket shops on Adrianoú and Pandrósou streets, but for locals, the genuine flea market lies just west of Monastiráki Square. in Avissinías Square and its warren of surrounding streets.
11:22 AM – Athens: view from Ifaístou street back into Monastiráki Square with Pantánassa Church on far side.
Monastiráki is known for its large flea
market and bazaar area. It is located on the west side of Monastiráki
Square, with Plateía Avissinías (Avissinías Square) at its center. The flea
market extends through the surrounding streets. Tourists will find trinket
shops on Adrianoú and Pandrósou streets, but for locals, the genuine flea
market lies just west of Monastiráki Square. in Avissinías Square and its warren
of surrounding streets.
11:32 AM – Athens: store on Ifaístou street where we bought a refrigerator magnet (€0.7) with the Pantheon for us and another magnet attached to a bar of olive soap (€1.0) for a gift.
Going back to Monastiráki Square and turning south on Arios streeet, we came to Hadrian's Library.
Hadrian’s Library was created by
the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the years following 132 AD on the north side of
the Acropolis and just outside the northern corner of the Roman Agora. It
measured 118 m (387 ft) by 78 m (256 ft). The vast library was part of a
complex that included smaller rooms and a garden with a pool. The building
followed the typical style of a Roman forum, having only one entrance (on the
west side) with a propylaia (gateway or porch) of four Corinthian columns, a
30-ft-high surrounding wall of limestone with protruding niches at its long
sides, an inner courtyard surrounded by columns, an inner courtyard surrounded
by 100 marble columns, and a decorative oblong pool in the middle. The library
was on the east side where rolls of papyrus “books” were kept.
The library was severely damaged by
the Herulian invasion of 267 and, in 277, when the city sought to better
protect itself, was made part of the fortification wall. It was repaired in
407-412. During Byzantine times, three churches were built at the site, the
remains of which are preserved: a tetraconch (5th century AD), a three-aisled
basilica (7th century), and a simple cathedral (12th century.
When Athens came under Ottoman
Turkish control (after 453), the library was used as a center of administration
and became the residence of the Turkish Governor of Athens. From the 15th
century, it was also the site of important bazaars and some residential
buildings. During the 18th century, the building served as a mosque and also as
a fortress. In the 19th century, it served as an army barracks and then as a
prison.
The original identity of the site
was discovered in 1885 by excavations following a great fire that destroyed a
considerable number of shops and booths occupying this quarter of old Athens known
at the time as the Old Market. Archaeological excavations of the site began in
the late 19th century. However, it was not until the second half of the 20th
century that later buildings were cleared away and an attempt was made to
restore parts of the library to its original form. Surviving today are the
entrance façade, which gives an idea of the scale of the building, and part of
the interior wall of the east wing with some of the original niches for the
library’s documents. Also, architectural elements of the various churches in
the central courtyard are still visible.
We started to go down the steps into the library but found that they charged admission. So we just continued on the sidewalk around the block to see more.
11:40 AM - Athens: Hadrian's Library - sign, in Greek and English, for "BIBLIOTHIKI ADRIANOU - LIBRARY OF HADRIAN" near steps down from Arios street, English part of text at lower left reads:
"The
building was erected in 132-143 AD by emperor Hadrian. It follows the 'Roman
Forum' architectural style and measures 122 x 82 m. It had only one entrance
with a propylon of the Corinthian order on the west, a high precinct wall with
protruding niches (oikoi, exedrae) at its long sides, an anterior peristyle
courtyard and a decorative oblong cistern in the middle. The library itself was
located on the eastern side, where the 'books' (rolls of papyrus) were kept.
Adjoining halls were used as reading rooms and the ones at the corner sides as
lecture halls (auditoria).
"The
building was seriously damaged by the barbarian race of Herulians (AD 267) and
was repaired by the Roman Prefect Herculius (407-412 AD). Later on three
churches were built sequentially on the site of the cistern. Their remains are
preserved: a. Tetraconch (5th c. AD) ; b. Three-aisled Basilica (7th c. AD); c.
Domed church (end 11th - early 12th c. AD), the first cathedral of the city,
known as Megali Panaghia.
"During
the same period another church, 'Agios Asomatos on the Stairs', was built up
against the north section of the façade, which is not preserved."
11:40 AM (Cropped) – Athens: Hadrian's Library - lower right of sign with diagram of the library with the legend: "1. Propylon; 2. Precinct wall; 3. Oikoi; 4. Exedrae; 5. Interior peristyle courtyard; 6. Decorative cistern; 7. Bibliost[asio]; 8. Reading rooms; 9. Lecture halls (auditoria); 10. Tetraconch church (5th c. AD)."
11:41 AM – Athens: Hadrian's Library - front (west) wall and columns.
11:44AM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – capitals on pavement.
Continuing south from Hadrian's Library, we stopped at a small shop at the corner of Dexippou and Areos streets and bought two Athens T-shirts with picture of Parthenon (€5.00 each). When MT asked the owner if there was a fitting room where she could try on a T-shirt, he said yes and drew a curtain around a back corner of the shop. Don had to hold the curtain closed for her.
Then we continued on the sidewalk around the block to see more of Hadrian's Library from other sides.
11:59 AM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – view back to Library, from southeast side, with white columns.
11:59 AM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – view back to Library, from southeast side, with columns to left of west wall (seen from behind) and Tzistarákis Mosque behind it.
11:59 AM (Cropped) – Athens: Hadrian's Library – view back to Library, from southeast side, with columns to left of west wall (seen from behind) and dome of Tzistarákis Mosque behind it.
12:01 PM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – east side,
with eastern apse and part of colonnade of Tetraconch church.
A tetraconch, from the Greek
for “four shells,” is a building, usually a church or other religious building,
with four apses, one in each direction, usually of equal size. The basic ground
plan is therefore a Greek cross. They are most common in Byzantine architecture.
12:01 PM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – ruins of Tetraconch church and east (back) wall of Hadrian's Library, with dome of Tzistarákis Mosque in background (By I, Sailko, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4267200).
The early 5th-century four-apse Tetraconch
church with a central marble plan in the central garden space of Hadrian’s
Library was the first Christian church in Athens. The church used to consist of
a large central hall in the form of a square with four semicircular conches
that were accentuated by interior colonnades, an interior corridor that
surrounded the hall, and a large narthex (entrance area) and atrium on the western
side. The fact that the church was founded in the administrative center of the
city, its difference from the basilicas constructed in Athens during the same
period, and the use of expensive materials indicate that the church was in fact
an imperial building. It is possible that it was initially used as an
administrative building and probably later converted to a church.
The Tetracoch was possibly abandoned
during the Slav invasion in 582. It was destroyed around the end of the 6th
century and replaced in the 7th century by a large three-aisled basilica, which
was destroyed in the 11th century and replaced in the 12th century by a smaller
basilica with only one aisle.
Archaeological excavations of the
site began in the late 19th century and continued until the second half of the
20th century that later buildings were away and an attempt was made to restore
parts of the library to its original form. Surviving and visible today are the foundations
and lower walls of the eastern apse, remains of the mosaic floor, and part of an
interior colonnade of the Tetraconch church.
12:01 PM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – view from northeast corner back toward front (west) wall.
12:02 PM – Athens: Hadrian's Library – outside of east wall from Aiolou street.
Eventually, we went back to Monastiráki Square.
12:35 PM – Athens: Monastiráki Square with Pantánassa Church at left, Tzistarákis Mosque in center, and Monastiráki Metro Station on right, with Acropolis in background.
12:35 PM – Athens: Monastiráki Square with Pantánassa Church at left, Tzistarákis Mosque in center, and Monastiráki Metro Station on right, with Acropolis in background.
12:46 PM – Athens: MT crossing Ermoú street toward Agioi Asomatoi Church.
Athens: Agioi Asomati Church – façade and dome (By Macedon-40 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35554578).
Agioi Asomatoi Church, dating from the mid
to late 11th century, is located at the junction of Ermoú and Thermopylae
streets (the map in our guidebook shows the name of Thermopylae street changing
to Agion Asomaton as it approaches the church, and the Greek Yellow Pages
website shows the address of the church as “5 Agion Asomaton street”, although
orthodox-world.org shows the address as “Thermopylon 5”). The church is a
characteristic example on an Athenian church of the 11th century but has
undergone several aesthetic interventions over the years. It has the usual
Byzantine masonry (cloisonné-style, with bricks laid around each stone),
while the windows of the Athenian dome have characteristic brickwork decoration
and clay reliefs over the windows that show Arabic influence (Kufic script elements
used in architectural decoration). On the western wall, two fragments of Pseudo-Kufic
decorations are visible, which were probably part of a larger frieze. Inside
the church are Islamic motifs that signal the presence of an Arab merchant
community is the area during the 19th and 11th centuries. On the northern façade,
there is a horseshoe arch above the entrance, also showing Islamic influence. In
the Orthodox faith, Agion Asomaton is another name for the archangels, to which
the church is dedicated. The church is also known as Church of Agii Asomati and
Agios Georgios (Greek: Ekklisia Agii Asomati ke Agios Georgios).
Agioi Asomati Church – dome and apse, showing how much the church sits lower than the surrounding area (By Thaliapap - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7148925).
The church today, due to the newer
configuration of the surrounding area, is located about 2 meters below the
surface of the square of the same name.
Agion Asomaton Square is a petite square, off Ermoú street, about 400 meters from Monastiráki.
12:46 PM – Athens: Agioi Asomatoi Church - west façade and dome.
12:47 PM – Athens: Agioi Asomatoi Church - north façade with another door.
When we reached the Beth Shalom Synagogue, we were somewhat disappointed by its plain appearance.
12:52 PM – Athens: Beth Shalom Synagogue.
The Beth Shalom Synagogue is the principal synagogue of Athens, which is home to most of the Jews in
Greece. However, it was not the “First Synagogue of Athens,” as labeled in our
guidebook.
The
earliest known Athenian synagogue, dating from the period between 267 and 396
AD, has been identified by archaeologists within the ruins of the Ancient Agora.
From the time the ancient synagogue of Agora was destroyed in the 5th century through
the 19th century, the Jewish community of Athens did not have a synagogue. In 1904,
the Etz Hayyim (or Ezt Chaim) Synagogue (nicknamed Ioanniotiki due to its
popularity among Jews from Ioannia) was built on Melidoni street, across the
street from where the Beth Shalon would later be built. During World War II, Jews
from the north fled to Athens, and many were hidden throughout the city and
spared from the Holocaust. Currently, there are about 3,000 Jews living in
Athens, and there are two synagogues, Beth Shalom and the older Ioanniotiki, of
which Beth Shalom is the most widely used, while the Ionniotiki is used only
during great Jewish religious celebrations.
Athens: Etz Hayyim Synagogue - entrance (By Dafniotis - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60999099).
The Beth
Shalom Synagogue was built in 1935 of white Pentelic marble, and the
architecture is an austere Greek Revival style. However, the interior was not completed
prior to World War II. During the war, after Athens was seized by the Germans
in 1943, Jews were either hiding or exterminated by the Nazis; therefore, the
synagogue was not in use at that time. The building was renovated in 1975, when
the interior was finished.
Biaraktaris
Taverna Central, at Mitropóleos 71-88 near the Monastiráki Square,
is featured in the “Battle of the Gyro Stands” on Tripadvisor, with a photo of
the streetside “Take Away” window. Tripadvisor’s review says: “We heard about
the rivalry between Bairaktaris and O Thanasis in terms of who could put out
the best Gyro/Souvlaki. Didn’t eat inside but rather got a gyro to go. … We’ve
definitely had better gyros in Athens but if you’re in Monastiraki Square, it’s
worth trying. For one euro, you can’t go wrong.” (Souvlaki, meaning “meat on
skewers,” is like a kabob.)
Then we went back toward our hotel, stopping at the Bazaar supermarket on Mitropóleos street for yogurts and fruit.
After stopping at the hotel to drop off the groceries, we went across Mitropóleos street to the ella restaurant for lunch.
Ella Greek Cooking restaurant, on Mitropóleos street one block east of our hotel, received “Excellent” reviews on Tripadvisor, which called it “Definitely the best food in Athens.” It is a family-owned restaurant established in 2018 in a newly renovated building. Ella (also spelled Helle or Ellie) was the daughter of King Athamas of Boetia and the half-nymph Nephele and figured prominently in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. The name may be a cognate with Hellas (Greek: Ellas), the Greek name for Greece.
MT 1:32 PM – Athens: ella restaurant - steps reading "Best friends are those who feast with you."
MT ordered an eggplant dish and Don ordered orzo pasta with tomato sauce. We split them between us. We had ordered glasses of red wine, but the waiter brought only one for MT. Due to the mixup, he gave us a half liter of the same wine on the house.
2:09 PM – Athens: ella restaurant - Don's shared plate and MT's in background, with wine glass and half-liter pitcher.
After the meal, the waiter gave us each a small (shot) glass with two marshmallo-like cubes with powdered (sugar) on them
2:33 PM – Athens: ella restaurant - MT with her two cube-like desserts.
After 4:15 pm, we went back out on Adrianou (Greek for Hadrian’s) street to look for the shop where earlier we had seen T-shirts to see if they any with Marathon on them. On the way there, MT bought a nice white top for €38 (they included a necklace with it). The other shop had a nice Marathon T-shirt but wanted €10 for it. Back on Mitropóleo street, we found another Marathon T-shirt and bought it for Don.
Before going back to the hotel, we passed the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
4:46 PM – Athens: Panagía Gorgoepíkoös church - sign in Greek and English for "Church of Theotokos Gorgoepikoos and Ayios Eleyherios (mild telephoto 56 mm).
This sign uses the Greek term "Theotokos," meaning "Mother of God" rather than "Panagía," meaning "Host Holy," another of the titles of Mary. The English version does not use the diacritical marks in "Theotókos" and "Gorgoepíkoös," which are normally preserved in transliteration from the Greek, and mis-transliterates "Agios Eleuthérios" (the saint who protects women in childbirth).
4:48 PM – Athens: Metropolitan Cathedral - tower and dome from side near Panagía Gorgoepíkoös church (mild telephoto 34 mm).
No comments:
Post a Comment