Byzantine Civilization - now and then
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Morača Monastery is an Orthodox male monastery in Montenegro, in the valley of Morača River.
It was built in the years 1251-1252. During this period, the main monastery temple was built - the church of the Mother of God. The church belongs to the so-called Rashcan school. As a result, both Byzantine and Romanesque motifs intertwine in the church.
In 1504, during the Turkish invasion, the monastery was looted and burned, it was rebuilt in 1574. The relics of St. Kharlamp are kept here.
It is an important pilgrimage and tourist center.
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Monaster Morača to prawosławny męski klasztor w Czarnogórze, w dolinie rzeki Morača.
Wybudowano go w latach 1251-1252. W tym okresie powstała główna świątynia monasterska - cerkiew Matki Bożej. Cerkiew należy do tzw. szkoły raszkańskiej. Powoduje to, że w cerkwi przeplatają się motywy zarówno bizantyńskie jak i romańskie.
W 1504 w czasie najazdu tureckiego monaster został splądrowany i spalony, odbudowano go w 1574 roku.
W monasterze przechowywane są relikwie ręki św. Charłampa. Jest to znaczący ośrodek pielgrzymkowy oraz turystyczny.
One of the numerous Byzantine churches of Kastoria.
The saint depicted here is St Stephanos and the church dates from around 900.
I think I counted six other churches within 100m radius of this one, all still in use.
Abbey of the Dormition is an abbey and the name of a Benedictine community in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion just outside the walls of the Old City near the Zion Gate.
Between 1998 and 2006 the community was known as the Abbey of Hagia Maria Sion, in reference to the Basilica of Hagia Sion that stood on this spot during the Byzantine period, but it resumed the original name during the 2006 celebrations of the monastery's centenary. Hagia Maria Sion is now the name of the foundation supporting the abbey's buildings, community and academic work.
Saint Basil the Great is a small church with a unique mixture of architectural styles. The golden dome and cross reflect the church's denomination, Byzantine Catholic. The rest of the building is very modern and non-descript, probably because of convenience and lower expense.
Because its setting is surrounded on three sides by a public park, the church seems to be tucked into a forest, which frames its appearance very nicely.
Ruins of Efkarpia Byzantine tower
Ruins of a big tower in the fields 3km east of the village Efkarpia of Serres region, 850m from the west bank of Strymon river.
The tower is not mentioned in Byzantine or other historic sources. We know that in this area existed a proastion (settlement) which in 1299 was granted by emperor Andronicos II Palaiologos to the Monastery of Chilandar of Mount Athos.
So, most probably, this was a monastic tower similar to the towers of Chlakidiki, the purpose of which was to protect and serve the various dependencies of the monasteries of Mount Athos. The type of construction and the little that we know about the history of the region date the tower around the middle of the 14th century.
The layout of the tower is almost a square with internal dimensions 6.5m✖7.0m, wall thickness 2m, preserved at the maximum height of 7m.
Ruins of Marmari Byzantine tower that was built almost entirely with material (marble etc ) from ancient buildings.
The tower is on a hill between the town of Amfipolis and river Strymon, overlooking the archaeological site of Amphipolis.
The tower was built in 1367 according to an inscription which now is in the museum of Amfipolis.
It was built by the lords Ioannis and Alexios who were high officials in Constantinople and owned lands in that area. Later, earlier than 1384, the tower was donated to the monastery of Pantocrator (in Athos mountain).
Today one floor is preserved and only one wall from the second floor. A very particular element of this tower is that it is constructed entirely of the ancient material from the nearby ancient city of Amfipolis.
Medieval Byzantine chant (14th century AD).
Title: "Ευλογήσατε τον Κυρίον" (Bless the Lord)
Composer: Maistor Ioannes Koukouzeles
Performers: Greek Byzantine Choir
Album: "Mathimata Maistoros Koukouzele"
Psalm 83 [Greek Septuagint]
"How Beloved Are Thy Dwellings"
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photo:
13th century parekklesion (side chapel) at Pammakaristos Church
former Monastery of Theotokos Pammakaristos
Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos, Constantinople
present Fethiye Mosque Museum, Istanbul
Fethiye Camii [Mosque of The Conquest]
Çarşamba neighbourhood, Fatih district of Istanbul
Θεοτόκος ἡ Παμμακάριστος
Μονή Παμμακάριστου, Κωνσταντινούπολη
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pammakaristos_Church
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-fethiye-camii
www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/pammakaristos
Cross-in-square
Over the apse of the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, Croatia
The upper mosaics represent a beardless Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
Under the arch below, which contains "mosaic medallions with the Lamb of God and portraits of twelve female martyrs", you can see a matronly Mary with her child Jesus looking like a miniature adult. This clumsy depiction of the Mother of God is the only survinging one "in an early-Christian western basilica".
"She is flanked by angels, Bishop Euphrasius, holding the model of the church; also local saints are depicted, including St. Maurus, the first bishop of Poreč and the Istrian diocese, and the archdeacon Claudius."
Below you can see the upper part of the marble ciborium, which was built some 700 years later, more exactly in 1277.
Information and quotations from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrasian_Basilica
Another shot framing San Vitale interiors. This has been taken from the presbytery floor looking up and outside.
Christ is described at Chora as "Land of the Living"
[Χώρα των ζώντων]
music:
Medieval Byzantine Nativity chant (Kathismata of Christmas).
Title: "Μυστήριο ξένον" (Wondrous Mystery)
Service: Matins of Nativity
Performers: Greek Byzantine Choir
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photo:
inner narthex dome with Genealogy of Christ
from the Cycle of Christ's Infancy and Ministry
Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, Istanbul
www.columbia.edu/cu/wallach/exhibitions/Byzantium/html/bu...
Chora Museum, Chora Monastery (Contantinople)
Μονή της Χώρας, Μουσείο Χώρας, Κωνσταντινούπολη
Kariye Müzesi, Kariye Camii, Kariye Kilisesi, Istanbul
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chora_Church
www.columbia.edu/cu/wallach/exhibitions/Byzantium/
www.byzantium1200.com/chora.html
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-st-savior-in-...
www.doaks.org/library-archives/icfa/moving-image-collecti...
New blog: "Low Fat Mushy Pea Curry", I know it sounds horrendous, but trust me… this mushy pea curry is superb and very easy to make. It actually tastes just like chippers curry LOL…
Here is the recipe
Previous blogs
The Chora Church or Chora Mosque, full former name the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, is a medieval Greek Orthodox church building, since 2020 used as a mosque, in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It is mainly famous for its outstanding Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos.
The building is an example of Byzantine architecture. In the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, it was converted into a mosque; it became a museum in 1945, and was turned back into a mosque in 2020 by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The interior of the building is covered with some of the finest surviving Byzantine Christian mosaics and frescoes, which were left in plain sight during Muslim worship throughout much of the Ottoman era. They were restored after the building was secularized and turned into a museum.
The neighborhood is situated in the western part of the municipality (belediye) of the Fatih district.
The monumental basilica of Sacré-Cœur stands like a whipped-cream edifice atop the hillock of Montmartre. This white mass of Romanesque-Byzantine architecture with its singular domes shares more resemblance with the Taj Mahal in India than the Notre-Dame cathedral! The church is so white and glaring on the outside, in contrast to its dark and stuffy interior! Nevertheless, a quick visit inside will be rewarded by spotting one of France’s most important mosaics featured on the apse. Not many people know that, although a recent construction (1875-1914), the basilica was built by a decree of the newly established Third Republic dating on the 24th July 1873 as a “matter of public utility”. Remember, at that time the French Republic had not separated the Church from the State… this will occur in 1905. Architect Paul Abadie was given the great task to design the edifice – people could trust him for he was the one who heavily restored the famous cathedral St. Front of Périgueux … in Romanesque-Byzantine style too! Today, mobs of tourists climb the hill on foot or via the funicular to the basilica to admire the stunning view over the roofs of Paris. We prefer avoiding the masses and instead climb to the top of the central dome to embrace the stunning panoramic view, the second highest in Paris after the third floor of the Eiffel Tower. Read more about the Sacré-Cœur basilica.
Church of the Paregoretissa (Greek: Παναγία ἠ Παρηγορήτισσα, "Panagia of Consolation") ( 13th-century) in Arta, Greece
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photo:
exposed gallery brickwork vaulting
Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, Constantinople
present Küçük Ayasofya Mosque [Little Hagia Sophia] Istanbul
Küçük Ayasofya Camii
Kumkapı neighborhood, Fatih district, Istanbul
www.3dmekanlar.com/en/small-ayasofya-mosque-2.html
Eκκλησία τῶν Άγίων Σεργίου καί Βάκχου, Κωνσταντινούπολη
Μικρή Αγία Σοφία
Main structure completed in 536
Architects Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hagia_Sophia
www.byzantium1200.com/sergio.html
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-church-of-sts...
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photo:
exposed gallery brickwork vaulting
Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, Constantinople
present Küçük Ayasofya Mosque [Little Hagia Sophia] Istanbul
Küçük Ayasofya Camii
Kumkapı neighborhood, Fatih district, Istanbul
www.3dmekanlar.com/en/small-ayasofya-mosque-2.html
Eκκλησία τῶν Άγίων Σεργίου καί Βάκχου, Κωνσταντινούπολη
Μικρή Αγία Σοφία
Main structure completed in 536
Architects Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hagia_Sophia
www.byzantium1200.com/sergio.html
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-church-of-sts...
The view from the upper floor of the Hagia Sophia looking out to the Blue Mosque.
2015 10 29 134826 Turkey Istanbul Holiday 1PM
Many parties were fighting for Trogir in its rich history since 3rd century BC: Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians, Habsburgs, French, Croatians, each leaving a symbol of rulings there. Because of this rich history and preserved historical form, Trogir made it to UNESCO World Heritage List.
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More about this image here
Saint Dimitrios Holy Orthodox Metropolitan Church in the lower town of Mystras, Greece, was founded in 1264 and served as the cathedral of the late Byzantine state. Today it is part of the museum of the Archaeological Site of Mystras.
Holy Week in Sicily:
"… There is no country in Sicily, in which
the passion of Christ does not revive
through a real
representation, in which people
lives or statuary groups do not
of the streets and squares the theater
of that great drama ... "
(Leonardo Sciascia).
“…Jesus said, “I love you as you are. And I love you too much to leave you as you are…”
(Chris Lyons).
The rites of Holy Week are present in Sicily with complexity of content and symbologies due to numerous influences, very present those due to the Spanish culture, dominating the island between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; in the mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ, it is attended by a popular culture, referring to ancient pre-Byzantine rites that originated long before those of Mediterranean Christian culture.
These ancient rituals represent the most significant moments of the Passion of Jesus Christ, described in the Gospels, from his arrest by the Romans to the Resurrection and are part of the Holy Week celebrations, together with the normal religious functions.
The rites of Holy Week unite Sicily in a single collective rite, an appointment highly anticipated by many Sicilian and non-Sicilian photographers, due to the covid-19 pandemic, now also for this year 2021, as for last year, these celebrations- collective rites will not be able to take place, so I created a "photographic showcase" to be presented on Flickr, composed of images belonging to events that belong to the Sicilian Easter rites, posted in past years; of each reportage presented, I only took "a few cards" more or less significant, some photos were originally posted in black and white, and as such I left them, other photos were posted in color, the latter I re-edited in black and white to conform them to a single photographic language; some photos differ within this black and white language, for having been subjected to a very marked vignetting, I have left them anyway, belonging to reportage characterized by that type of post-production.
Trapani: The Mysteries of Trapani, Good Friday, 2018
Marsala: procession of Good Friday, 2019
Enna: the Good Friday procession (la processione del Venerdì Santo), 2012
Militello Rosmarino: the Good Friday procession (la processione del Venerdì Santo), 2016
Bronte: the Good Friday procession (la processione del Venerdì Santo), 2017
Randazzo: the Good Friday procession (la processione del Venerdì Santo), 2014
Piana degli Albanesi: Easter Sunday (Domenica di Pasqua), 2014
Scicli: Easter Sunday, the Living Man - U' Gioia (Domenica di Pasqua, l’Uomo Vivo – U’ Gioia), 2017
la Settimana Santa in Sicilia:
"…non c'è paese in Sicilia, in cui
la passione di Cristo non riviva
attraverso una vera e propria
rappresentazione, in cui persone
vive o gruppi statuari non facciano
delle strade e delle piazze il teatro
di quel grande dramma..."
(Leonardo Sciascia).
“…Gesù disse: “Ti amo per come sei. E ti amo troppo per lasciarti come sei…”
(Chris Lyons).
I riti della Settimana Santa presentano in Sicilia una complessità di contenuti e di simbologie dovute a numerosi influssi, molto presenti quelli dovuti alla cultura spagnola, dominante nell’isola tra il XVI ed il XVII secolo; nel mistero della morte e della resurrezione di Cristo, si assiste nella cultura popolare, a riferimenti risalenti da antichi riti pre-bizantini che originano da molto prima di quelli della cultura cristiana mediterranea.
Questi antichi riti rappresentano i momenti più significativi della Passione di Gesù Cristo, descritti nei Vangeli, dal suo arresto da parte dei romani alla Resurrezione e fanno parte, insieme alle normali funzioni religiose, delle celebrazioni della Settimana Santa.
I riti della Settimana Santa uniscono la Sicilia in un unico rito collettivo, appuntamento attesissimo da molti fotografi siciliani e non, a causa della pandemia da covid-19, oramai anche per quest'anno 2021, come per l'anno scorso, queste celebrazioni-riti collettivi, non potranno attuarsi, ho così realizzato una "vetrina fotografica" da presentare su Flickr, composta da immagini appartenenti ad eventi che appartengono ai riti Pasquali Siciliani, postati negli anni passati; di ogni reportage presentato, ho preso solo "qualche tessera fotografica" più o meno significativa, alcune foto furono postate originariamente in bianco e nero, e come tali le ho lasciate, altre foto furono postate a colori, queste ultime le ho rieditate in bianco e nero per uniformarle ad un linguaggio fotografico unico; alcune foto differiscono all'interno di questo linguaggio in bianco-nero, per essere state sottoposte ad una vignettatura molto marcata, le ho lasciate ugualmente, appartenenti a reportage caratterizzati da quel tipo di post-produzione.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The cathedral is located on the hilltop of Elijah in the historic center of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and dominates the city skyline with its impressive architecture. Completed in 2004, the cathedral combines elements of traditional Georgian architecture with Byzantine influences. The design incorporates classic Georgian elements such as cruciform structures and details found in older monasteries and churches in Georgia. The dome of the church, covered in gold, rises 87 meters above the ground, giving the cathedral an impressive height difference and making it visible from many parts of the city. The construction of the cathedral was intended to symbolize Georgian unity and revival after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The project began in the 1990s and was largely funded by donations from both the Georgian government and the Georgian people.
The main entrance to the complex surrounding the Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi leads to the cathedral itself. This entrance consists of a beautifully decorated gate with stone columns and crucifixes on both sides of the path, creating a symbolic passage to the holy place. The wide promenade, surrounded by green bushes and benches, invites visitors to walk serenely towards the cathedral. The architecture of the entrance wall is grand and massive, with round turrets and arched doors, which together create an imposing appearance. The building above the gate is crowned with a dome that emphasizes the Georgian style and serves as a landmark from the surroundings. Sameba Cathedral is a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims, both for its religious significance and for its architectural splendor. The cathedral is a must-see for visitors to Tbilisi and a powerful symbol of Georgian culture and identity.
De hoofdingang van het complex rond de Sameba-kathedraal in Tbilisi, leidt naar de kathedraal zelf. Deze ingang bestaat uit een prachtig versierde poort met stenen zuilen en kruisbeelden aan beide zijden van het pad, wat een symbolische doorgang creëert naar de heilige plek. De brede promenade, omringd door groene struiken en banken, nodigt bezoekers uit om op een serene manier naar de kathedraal toe te lopen. De architectuur van de ingangsmuur is groots en massief, met ronde torentjes en boogvormige deuren, die samen een imposante uitstraling geven. Het gebouw boven de poort is bekroond met een koepel die de Georgische stijl benadrukt en als een herkenningspunt dient vanaf de omgeving. De Sameba-kathedraal in Tbilisi is één van de grootste orthodoxe kerken ter wereld en de belangrijkste kathedraal van de Georgisch-Orthodoxe Kerk. De kathedraal staat op de heuveltop van Elia in het historische centrum van Tbilisi, de hoofdstad van Georgië, en domineert de skyline van de stad met zijn indrukwekkende architectuur. De kathedraal, voltooid in 2004, combineert elementen van traditionele Georgische architectuur met Byzantijnse invloeden. Het ontwerp bevat klassieke Georgische elementen zoals kruisvormige structuren en details die je ook terugziet in oudere kloosters en kerken in Georgië. De koepel van de kerk, bedekt met goud, steekt 87 meter boven de grond uit, wat de kathedraal een indrukwekkend hoogteverschil geeft en zorgt dat deze vanuit veel delen van de stad zichtbaar is. De constructie van de kathedraal was bedoeld als symbool voor de Georgische eenheid en heropleving na het uiteenvallen van de Sovjet-Unie. Het project begon in de jaren 90 en werd voor een groot deel gefinancierd door donaties van zowel de Georgische regering als het Georgische volk.
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photo:
Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, Constantinople
present Küçük Ayasofya Mosque [Little Hagia Sophia] Istanbul
Küçük Ayasofya Camii
Kumkapı neighborhood, Fatih district, Istanbul
www.3dmekanlar.com/en/small-ayasofya-mosque-2.html
Eκκλησία τῶν Άγίων Σεργίου καί Βάκχου, Κωνσταντινούπολη
Μικρή Αγία Σοφία
Main structure completed in 536
Architects Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Hagia_Sophia
www.byzantium1200.com/sergio.html
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-church-of-sts...