Ismene Kafantari, Anavryta Lyceum Instructor: Dr. Nicolaos A. E. Kalospiros Marousi, September 2016 The Holy Monastery of Kaisariani Location: Architectural type: Date: Mount Hymettus Cross-in-square Second half of the 11 th century, early 12 th century Location One of the oldest monasteries in Attica, the Holy Monastery of Kaisariani is located in the east of Athens, at the foot of the northern side of Mount Hymettus, at an altitude of 350 meters. It is surrounded by a high wall with two gates, the main one on the east and another, a larger one, on the west side. Today, the monastery does not work but the church is still active and it is one of the landmarks of Christianity. Figs. 1-2: Aerial view and a map of the area (source: Google maps) An ancient site of worship The monastery of Kaisariani stands on a site that was a place of worship from ancient times. Historical sources report that it was a shrine to the goddess Aphrodite, built at the specific site probably because just above it was the source of the River Ilissos that supplied Athens with drinking water. Aphrodite herself was believed to have blessed the stream which had magical qualities to cure female sterility, so Greek brides who wished to become pregnant came to drink water from the spring. Today the water is pouring through the open mouth of the marble goat's head at the entrance of the monastery. Fig. 3: The marble goat s head (Photo: Ismene Kafantari) 1
Early Christian period Archaeological excavations revealed that over the remains of Aphrodite s ancient temple two basilica churches were built in the 5 th -6 th and later in the 10 th -11 th centuries, whose remains are still found today. Middle Byzantine period: A new architectural type In the 11 th century new churches are built all over Attica in a new architectural type, the cross-in-square church, which obtains its own traits in Greece. The Monastery of Kaisariani is among the finest examples of cross-in-square architectural form. The church has four columns with a dome and its walls are built with brick ornaments. Figs. 4,5,6: Front view (ink and watercolor on paper, dimensions 25x35,5 cm), detail from front view and photo, 1888-1890. Kaisariani Monastery, Katholikon, view from the east. Authors: R. Weir- Schultz, S. Barnsley. From: Byzantine Research Fund, British School at Athens. Unpublished. The Monastery complex Fig. 7: Drawing of the monastery by Barski, 1745 (source: Wikipedia) The Monastery complex seen today was built in the 11th century and remained in use during the Turkish occupation. In 1745 Barski, a Russian pilgrim, did a drawing of Kaisariani Monastery which consisted of the following buildings: The Katholikon, the main church on the eastern side of the wall around the abbey, a Byzantine cross-in-square type with half-hexagonal apses and a dome which was dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple. The interior of the church is decorated with wall paintings that date back to the 16th and 15th century and are an example of Cretan painting style. The chapel located at the northern side of the church is dedicated to Agios Antonios and was built during the Turkish domination, while the bell tower was constructed much later in the 19th century. 2
On the south side was a Roman bathhouse which had hot and cold baths and warm water for heating the cells and was later transformed into the monastery's olive oil extractor during the Turkish occupation. The monks' cells, the refectory and the kitchen were on the western side. The monks cells occupied the greatest part of the southern length of the garden. The refectory was a long rectangular room, which was subdivided in two spaces. The kitchen on the south side of the refectory was square shaped with a vaulted roof in which there was a chimney. Figs. 8,9: The refectory and the monk s cells (photos: Ismene Kafantari) Cultural centre The monastery flourished during the 12th and 13th centuries and it was known as a major cultural and spiritual centre. It had a rich library with an important collection of books used by philosophers of that time which was destroyed in wars and invasions. During the Turkish occupation some of its rare ancient texts were sent to the Acropolis where they were used to ignite fuses and others were sold to English traders. Figs. 10-11: Aspects of the Katholikon (Photos: Ismene Kafantari) Surrounding environment As is the case with other locations where Byzantine churches and monasteries were built, the rich surrounding lands with trees, bushes and rare plants belonged to the monastery and reflect a calm and peaceful atmosphere. In the past, the monks supported themselves with income from olive groves, grape vines and beehiving. They were also famous for their medical knowledge and skills at preparing herbal medicines. Today, the large garden of the monastery is a peaceful sanctuary. The gardens are owned by the Athens Friends of the Tree Society who planted them 3
after all the trees were cut down during World War II and there are paths that lead to the forest from the monastery. Figs. 12,13,14: Details of the surrounding area (Photos: Ismene Kafantari) Bibliography Bouras, H. (2001). Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Architecture in Greece (in Greek). Athens: Melissa. Bouras, H. (2010). Byzantine Athens, 10 th -12 th century (in Greek). Athens: Benaki Museum. Gregory, T. E. (1991). "Kaisariane". In Kazhdan, A. (eds). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (p. 1090). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Mango, C. (1976). Byzantine architecture. New York: Reissue. Electronic sources Exploring Byzantium: Kaisariani Monastery. The European Centre for Byzantine and Post- Byzantine Monuments http://exploringbyzantium.gr/ekbmm/page?name=monument&lang=gr&id=5&sub= 647&sub2=142&template=accessible The Monastery of Kaisariani (in Greek). Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/gh251.jsp?obj_id=1524 4
Figs. 15-16: Section and plan view of the Katholikon (Ismene Kafantari) 5