The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar

The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar Dr. Kostantinos Giakoumis, Byzantinist B.A. Athens University Ph.D. C.B.O.M.G.S., University of Birmingham, UK. By Mr. Joan Stratoberdha, Architect B.A. Tirana Summary The purpose of this report is, after evaluation of the church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar, to show its unique historical and architectural values. The church was built in an unknown period, circa 1600 according to local traditions. It was painted in 1814 by Paskal Trandafilli and between 1816 and 1827 was extended through the patronage of a certain Janaq Prevezhani. As an inseparable and indispensable part of Përmet s Old Bazaar, the church followed the development of the first. As a result it was rebuilt from foundation in 1929 and modified after 1941, when it suffered damages from the Italian bombardment of the city. In 1967, during the communist regime the church was converted into a Cultural Palace. In 2001 it returned to Orthodox worship, but was recently (2003) re-confiscated by state s local authorities to re-function as a cultural centre, since the monument s values were not evaluated properly, the church being considered as unimportant. From an architectural point of view, the 1967 transformation of the church resulted in a few secondary interventions to its structure. The eastern part of the church was extended at height, while a gallery was added attached to the southern wall of the church. Finally, the walls of the church were reinforced with concrete, some of the church s windows and entrances were closed and others were opened, while the interior and exterior of the church was modified for the needs of the cultural palace. However, it is obvious that underneath the palace there is a church of remarkable value, not only for its history, but also for its architecture. It portrays the tendency of Përmet s inhabitants, following the Independence (1912) and by way of reaction against restrictions of the Ottoman legislation concerning Church building, to construct a magnificent church imitating early-christian models. This architectural choice could be traced in major cities throughout the Balkans, it is quite rare, though, in Albania, as monuments of this period were not considered as monuments of culture and more often than not were destroyed by the Communist regime. As a conclusion, the church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar should be considered as a monument not only of local or Balkan, but widely of world s cultural heritage and, as such, should be restored to its old values. 1. The History of the Church. The church of the Nativity of the All-Holy Theotokos has always been a point of reference and an indispensable part for Përmet s Old Bazaar. Përmet is a city of Southern Albania which was built on the western bank of the River Vjosë. It is not known when exactly the toponym Përmet was firstly mentioned in historical sources; therefore, it is impossible, at this present stage, to estimate the date of the city s founding. However, Përmet was firstly mentioned in Ottoman sources in the 15 th Century as an administrative unit (kaza). Thereafter, it is possible to trace its development through population data, extracted from sources of mixed reliability 1 [see table 1]. The population of the city of Përmet Date Number of households Christian Muslim Source (hane) or Population 1431/32 42 hane (2-3 households 42-1431/32 Ottoman land census. per hane) c. 1518 136 hane (for the 16 th C. 136 - Ottoman tax-register appr. 1 household per hane) c. 1582 125 hane 125 - Ottoman tax-register 17 th C. (2 nd half) 150 households - - Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi

1768 3.000 inhabitants 1.500 1.500 Dositej Obradoviç 2 1806 700 households - - F. Pouqueville, H. Holland 1829 4.000-5.000 inhabitants - - Felix de Beaujour 3 1830-1840 4.800 inhabitants - - Unknown 4 1856 134 (?) households - - P. Aravantinos 1873 5.000 inhabitants 1.500 - Emile Isambert 5 1879 600 households - - Codex of the Metropolis of Korçë 6 1897 1.000 families - - Kostandin Pishota 7 1900-1912 5.000 inhabitants - - Unknown 8 Përmet s Old Bazaar was firstly mentioned in Ottoman sources of the 16 th Century 9. There is a lack of information about it up until the 19 th Century, where we have concrete data in our disposal. According to these data, the Old Bazaar numbered 100 shops in 1830-1840. By the end of the 19 th Century the Bazaar had experienced a remarkable development, as it numbered 180 or 183 shops 10. Between 1900 and 1912 the Old Bazaar had 190 shops 11. This development is even more remarkable if we consider that Old Bazaar often suffered destructions caused by fires (1865-1870, 6 July 1943, 9 October 1943, 28 January 1944 and 11 June 1944) 12. As a consequence, today nothing has been preserved from the old bazaar, apart from its church, whose architectural expansion followed the development of Përmet s old bazaar. This church is, therefore, the sole part of the old bazaar that has been preserved until our days. The church of the Nativity of the All-Holy Theotokos is situated at the eastern side of Përmet s old bazaar 13, in a quarter named lagja e Qoshkut dhe e Lumit. This quarter is placed at the eastern bank of the River Vjosë. It was named after a Qjoshk (Venue of Assembly), built at the western side of the church s square and was used for the local heads to gather along with government officials, in order to talk about their problems. It was for this reason why the church s square was named sheshi i hyqymetit (square of the administration), in which the offices of the sub-prefecture, the landcadastre and the local Court functioned. This Venue of Assembly was completely destroyed by fire sometime around 1865-1870 14. The old materials were later used for the erection of a new governmental office, as a result of which the quarters of the old bazaar never lost their importance for Përmet. In a manuscript written by old inhabitants of Përmet it is mentioned that once the bell of the church was used for the bazaar s clock tower and it was only in 1913 that it was returned to the church. As we shall point out below, the church of the Nativity of the Theotokos has been an indispensable part of the history of the Old Bazaar. According to Taqi Kristo, the church of the Theotokos at the Bazaar was the oldest church within the city of Përmet 15. The church 16 is mentioned in the notes of the Codex of the Metropolis of Korçë 17. Its foundations were laid by Zoto Loli from Përmet in a period of great turbulence and danger, according to St. Adhami, due to the stiff opposition of fanatic Muslims. In 1814, during Ali Pasha s rule, the church was painted by Paskal Trandafili, an inhabitant of Rupsha, Pogon, through the patronage of a certain Janaq Prevezhani (perhaps from Preveza, Greece). The relevant inscription published in Albanian translation reads: O Lord, help your servant Janaq Prevezhani 18. Later, at the years of prelacy of the Metropolitan Meletios of Korçë (1816-1827) 19 the church was

enlarged through contributions gathered by local inhabitants who lived and worked as merchants at Përmet. The church of the Nativity of the Theotokos was built at the bazaar in order to serve the spiritual needs of Christian artisans and merchants who lived with their families in non-christian quarters of the city. The course of time, though, appeared not to have left the old church intact. It was for this reason, as well as for the small dimensions of the church, which could no longer serve the needs of the local inhabitants, that the locals felt the urge to build a new, much bigger church in 1929 20. It seems, though, that ambitions exceeded the availability of funds, because of which the church met at least two successive constructional phases, as shown by two old photographs, the first of which started in 1929. According to documentary sources, in 1941, following the bombardment of the city of Përmet by Italian forces, the church had suffered remarkable damages 21. Therefore, the church underwent a second constructional phase a few years after 1930, when it further expanded and took the form, in which it appears today, below the new expansions added to it, in order to function as a Palace of Culture. Consequently, in the eyes of the locals the newer church has always been under construction and thus was considered to be without any cultural or historical value 22. Therefore, the Communist regime converted it into a theatre. Stilian Adhami, to whose contributions much is owed for putting together several pieces regarding the history of the church of the Theotokos at Përmet s old bazaar, seems to be unaware of the fact that the Home of Culture that functioned at the square of the church was actually a simple, non-extensive transformation of the newer church [for this see the section on Architecture]. It is for this reason that he refers to that church more as a toponym rather than a monument; hence he writes: As a toponym, it was included in the zone behind the shops of the old bazaar, more or less around the grounds where the Home of Culture was built. The same author, however, recognised that the sole data from the church that could serve history and, particularly, art history are the names of the ktitor, the patron and the painter of the 19 th Century church, which appear nowhere else in Albania. The evidence that Adhami, himself, provided in his publications, though, indicates the values of the church, which are indispensably blended together with the historical memories of Përmet s old bazaar. 2. Architecture: The church of the Nativity of the Virgin was constructed in the way it appears today over at least four major constructional phases. These changes were dictated by needs to enlarge the church building due to its small dimensions and for reasons of esteem. The study of the architecture of the church was based chiefly on evidence gathered in two fieldwork visits, as well as in related research on bibliographical and documentary sources. To the best of our knowledge, there is no concrete evidence with regards to the first constructional phase of the church [see plan ]. According to local traditions transmitted with reservations, the church was built circa 1600 23 and was certainly smaller than the one appearing today. There is nothing left today from that church, for which only excavation works or further archival and bibliographical research could reveal newer evidence.

The development of Përmet s Old Bazaar throughout the 19 th Century and the increase of the number of Christians who needed the church marked the gradual expansion of the church. The second constructional phase included an enlargement of the church and took place during the prelacy of Metropolitan Meletios of Korçë (1816-1827). Parts of this constructional phase may exist underneath the structure in which the church appears today, possibly in the eastern side, where after partial uncovering of the layer of cluster from inside, the stones appeared to be different in colour than the others. However, only after removal of the walls layers and full restoration of the church s masonry could such a hypothesis be ascertained. Less than a century after the second constructional phase, in 1929, possibly because of the damages that the church suffered from fires, such as the one of 1865-1870 and certainly because the size of the church could no longer serve the needs of the local Christians, the church experienced a third constructional phase. This resulted in a complete re-building of the church s structures in monumental dimensions. An old photograph, taken circa 1930 [fig. ], shows the church before its completion, which local inhabitants date in 1934. The church s lower structures had already been finished by then, the same, though, could not be said for its upper structures. However, as shown in other old photographs taken after 1934 [see fig. 24 ], the church appears complete. Based on both photographs, the church appeared to be of the domed basilica type with a twodimensional belfry attached to its western wall. Four central columns dividing the horizontal from the vertical aisle probably supported the dome. The northern side of the church had a set of four square windows at the higher part of the church, below which there were three other windows and an entrance, whose foundations are still visible from the outside. The masonry of the church was of carefully cut and elaborated white blocks of stones joined tightly together with the intervention of a thin layer of cluster [fig. ], a style of masonry often used in buildings of neo-classical architecture of the beginning of the 20 th Century. Masonry of this style can be found today in various points of the church, such as in the northern and eastern wall of the exterior and in the eastern, northern, and southern walls of the interior, parts of the church. A bi-lateral roof, different than that appearing today, once covered the church. The outbreak of the World War II resulted in the destruction of the city, caused by Italian bombardments. At that time, the church suffered 40 m 2 damaged masonry, 60 m 2 damaged layer of cluster, damages in 25 m 2 of roof and in 15 m 2 of ceiling 25. Furthermore, it seems that the destruction of the Bazaar caused by successive fires (1865-1870, 6 July 1943, 9 October 1943, 28 January 1944 and 11 June 1944) 26 had caused further damages to the church. Consequently, it needed extended repairs, which, possibly, resulted in another extension of the church, possibly in its western side. These successive constructional phases in the 20 th Century created the impression to local inhabitants that the church has always been under construction and, therefore, it was not officially declared as a monument of culture. Therefore, when in 1967, the Communist regime confiscated churches and monasteries during its social and cultural revolution, the church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar was transformed into a Palace of Culture. The interventions effected to the church s structures after 1967 could be summarised as follows: i) the destruction of the upper structures of the church, including the dome, ii) The covering of the original entrances and windows, apart from the southern entrance, with red bricks and the opening of new

ones. iii) The expansion about 2m at height of the eastern part of the church by use of red bricks for the needs of the theatre s foyer [see pl. ]. iv) Finally, the placement of a layer of concrete at a high point of the church walls, thereby joining the masonry more tightly, in order to secure the static balance of the building. A number of facts, though, indicate that underneath today s structure of the object the original 20 th c. form of the church has been preserved. These are: i) the trace of the belfry at the western end of the buildings roof, as seen from the elevated zone of spectators at the church s western side. ii) The existence of (church) walls apparently different from the walls of the expansion and extension (in width, materials and their elaboration and in style of masonry). iii) The existence of a curved arch at the eastern side of the interior [fig. ] is perhaps the strongest evidence of the use of the church s frame in the transformation works. The biggest intervention brought about in the 1967 transformation of the church was the addition of an oblong gallery along the southern side of the church. This gallery was built by use of stones, as seen in parts where the layer of cluster covering its masonry was removed for reasons of comparison. The quality of masonry, however, is inferior to the church s masonry [see comparatively pl. ]. The stones used [fig. ] were coarsely elaborated and loosely put together, creating gasps rather than joists between the stones, which were later covered by a thick, layer of cluster of low-quality. Furthermore, the width of the church s wall in the northern side of the gallery was found to be 90cm, while the southern wall of this gallery built circa 1967, 60cm. Based on the evidence outlined above, it is beyond any shadow of doubt that what appears today as a Palace of Culture is but a simple external and internal furnishing and non-extensive transformation of the basilica s old frame, with a minor expansion at height and an extension. Both the expansion at height and the extension are evidently different in type, functional and constructional solutions, composition of the component parts, architectural, internal-external decorative treatment, and style, from the church. Last, but not least, the church is of unique architectural value. According to the eminent historian of ecclesiastical architecture S. Ćurcić, towards the end of the Ottoman rule in the Balkans, and especially after that, the Christian subjects of the empire felt the urge to revive the majesty of classical, early-christian models of Byzantine architecture. Occasionally they used a certain exaggeration by way of opposition against the restrictions of the Ottoman administration towards Church building and especially belfries. This resulted in the revival of the basilica or domed-basilica type, in general; Ćurcić cites numerous examples, chiefly from major cities of the Balkans, apart from Albania. For example in Athens, which was freed in the 19 th Century, many of its churches, built in the second half of the 19 th Century, represent this new wave in church architectural fashion, best exemplified in its cathedral 27. In particular, a new type of basilica was created, with a narthex (sometimes elevated) along its southern, western, and northern façades. This type is to be found firstly at Thessaloniki as in the Church of St. Menas and others all dated in the late 19 th and early 20 th Century 28 bearing in mind that Thessaloniki and other parts of Macedonia (Greek part) were liberated only in 1912. From there it was spread all over the Balkans. The ecclesiastical provinces in Albania were not absent from these developments in Church architectural fashion. The old cathedral of the city of Korçe (1897), largely destroyed by the Communist regime was, perhaps, the most eminent example, which also

belongs to the new basilica type that was born in Thessaloniki. Other minor examples portraying this tendency include several magnificent, exaggerated and disproportionate in comparison with the very church buildings to which they were attached- belfries in many regions, such as Korçë (e.g. outside the church of St. Nikolaos at Boboshticë, 1928, etc.) and Myzeqe (e.g. attached to the south-western edge of the katholikon of the Monastery of Ardenicë, 1925, etc.). Having been built only a few decades before the establishment of the Communist regime, these church buildings were neglected and considered unimportant from a cultural point of view. Therefore, the majority of them, especially the churches, were destroyed in order for other buildings to be built at their place. The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar is among the very few, if not unique, examples of churches of this fashion that have been preserved until our days and should, therefore, be considered as a monument of exceptional architectural value. As such, it needs to attract our attention, not only for its reinstatement to its old, functional, religious values, but also for restoration. With its unique historical and architectural values, we would suggest that the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Përmet s Old Bazaar be considered as not only a monument of Përmet and its inhabitants, the Albanian people or the peoples of the Balkan, but a monument of world cultural and religious heritage. Bibliography Abbreviations Adhami S., Urbanistika dhe Arkitektura = Adhami S., Mbi Urbanistikën dhe Arkitekturën e Pazarit të Vjetër të Përmetit (Sur l urbanisme et l architecture du vieux bazaar de Përmet), Monumentet, v. 2 (1982), p. 43-41 (French resumé on p. 52-53). Adhami S., Vështrim = Adhami S., Vështrim mbi Kulturën Popullore të Trevës së Përmetit, Tiranë 2001: Ada Publications. Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët = Adhami S., Përmeti dhe Përmetarët në Udhëpërshrkimet e të Huajve dhe në Kujtimet e Popullit, Tiranë 2001. Adhami S., Përmeti në histori = Adhami S., Përmeti dhe Përmetarët në Faqet e Historisë Nga Lashtësia deri në 1939, Tiranë 2001: Neraida Publications. Giakoumis K., Monasteries = Giakoumis K., The Monasteries of Jorcucat and Vanishtë in Dropull and of Spelaio in Lunxhëri, as Monuments and Institutions during the Ottoman Period (15 th -19 th Centuries) in Southern Albania, Ph.D. thesis submitted at the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham 2002. Inalcik H., Arnawutluk = Inalcik H., Arnawutluk, Encyclopaedia of Islam, v. 1 (1960), p. 651-658. Pulaha S., Popullsia e Kosovës = Pulaha S., Popullsia shqiptare e Kosovës gjatë shek. XV-XVI (studime dhe dokumente), Tiranë 1983. Pulaha S. Qytetet shqiptare = Pulaha S. Qytetet shqiptare nën regjimin feudal ushtarak osman gjatë shekujve XV- XVI (Les villes albanaises sous le regime féodal militaire ottoman au cours des XVe et XVIe siècles), Monumentet, v. 1 (1984), p. 17-42; French synopsis, p. 43-49. Shkodra Z., Esnafët = Shkodra Z., Esnafët shqiptarë. (Shek. XV-XX), Tiranë 1973. Shkodra Z., Qyteti = Shkodra Z., Qyteti shqiptar gjatë Rilindjes Kombëtare, Tiranë 1984: Instituti i Historisë Ed.. NOTES 1 For Përmet s population data I used the following publications: Inalcik H., Arnawutluk, p. 655; Pulaha S., Populsia e Kosovës, p. 651-652; Pulaha S., Qytetet shqiptare, p. 26-27; Adhami S., Vështrim, p. 22-36; ibid, Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 69-76; and ibid., Urbanistika dhe Arkitertura, p. 43-44, who cites data given by foreign travellers without referring to his sources. Furthermore, there is a contradiction between the data he cites from foreign travelers and other data provided by him without mentioning his sources again [Adhami S., Vështrim, p. 39]. It should be mentioned that Ottoman-tax registers do not register the few Ottoman officials as tax-units; therefore, the Muslim population of the city should had been higher than the figures shown in the table. For comparative population data up until the end of the 16 th Century, see Giakoumis K., Monasteries, v. II, p. 526-531. Rounded numbers should not be considered as accurate.

2 Cited in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 37. 3 Cited in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 24. 4 Cited in Shkodra Z., Qyteti, p. 200. 5 Cited in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 31. 6 Adhami S., Urbanistika dhe Arkitektura, p. 44. 7 Cited in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 37. 8 Cited in Shkodra Z., Qyteti, p. 200. 9 Shkodra Z., Esnafët, p. 35. 10 Shkodra Z., Esnafët, p. 338; cf. Kostandin Pishota s data cited in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 39. 11 Cited in Shkodra Z., Qyteti, p. 200. 12 Adhami S., Urbanistika dhe Arkitektura, p. 50. 13 For a short description of the bazaar and the place of the church in it, see Adhami S., Vështrim, especially p. 72-73 and plan on p. 132. 14 See the extract of Frashëri P. Kajca A. Bubësi Z. At-Stath Melani, Pazari i Vjetër, published in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 380-381. 15 Extract of Taqi Kristo s manuscript Me Një Plak nga Përmeti prej Tates, Tiranës, 14 Maj 1978, published in Adhami S., Përmeti dhe përmetarët, p. 168. 16 Comparatively speaking, the most informed account on this church can be found in Adhami S., Përmeti në histori, p. 146-148 (chiefly 147-148). 17 Pepo s translation of this manuscript was not among the Theological Academy s holdings in March 2003, when this report was written. 18 See note 16. 19 Patrinelis C., Κορυτσάς Μητρόπολις, Ηθική και Θρησκευτική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια, v. 7 (1965), p. 873. 20 For these information and the dates I combined data taken from Adhami S., Përmeti në histori, p. 147-148 and from local traditions transmitted by Përmet s parish-priest father Basil. The accuracy of the information provided by the latter was also confirmed by two old photographs, the first of which dates circa 1930, while the second a few years later on. 21 See Arkivët Qëndror të Shtetit, Fondi 602 (1941), Dosja 59, fl.35. 22 For such views, see Adhami S., Përmeti në histori, p. 146, 148. 23 Interlocutor: The local priest, father Basil. 24 For other old photographs, in which the church appeared complete in its third constructional phase, see Adhami S., Urbanistika dhe Arkitektura, p. 44, fig. 1-2. 25 See Arkivët Qëndror të Shtetit, Fondi 602 (1941), Dosja 59, fl.35. 26 Adhami S., Urbanistika dhe Arkitektura, p. 50. 27 Ćurcić Sl., Byzantine legacy in ecclesiastical architecture of the Balkans after 1453, in Clucas L. [ed.], The Byzantine Legacy in Eastern Europe, New York 1988, p. 65-67. 28 For this new architectural type in its wider context, see Mantopoulou Panagiotopoulou T., Θρησκευτική Αρχιτεκτονική στη Θεσσαλονίκη κατά την τελευταία φάση της Τουρκοκρατίας 1839-1912, doctoral thesis submitted in the Polytechnic School of the University of Thessaloniki, reviewed in Επιστηµονική Επετηρίς Πολυτεχνικής Σχολής Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστηµίου Θεσσαλονίκης, v. 11, p. 311-420. See also ibid., Τυπολογικές και µορφολογικές επεµβάσεις σε µεταβυζαντινούς ναούς κατά το 19 ο αιώνα, Churches in Greece 1453-1850, v. 5, p. 133-150.