Open Collections

Mann, Justin

Database of Religious History (DRH)

The monastery of Daphni is located to the west of Athens, Greece, and maintains a prominent position along the Iera Odos (Sacred Way). The monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and represents one of the architectural jewels of Middle Byzantine Greek architecture. The katholikon of the monastery is in the domed-octagon style that typifies the so-called "Helladic" school of architecture, such as is seen at its architectural predecessor, Hosios Loukas. The interior of the structure is decorated by an impressive cycle of gold mosaics that is highlighted by an imposing depiction of Christ Pantokrator in the central dome. Yet, even in light of clearly great effort and expenditure that went into the monastery's construction and decoration, little is known of its origins or founder. The monastery is noted only in two brief abstracts that reveal relatively little about Daphi's history. Based on art and architectural comparison, however, it seems the monastery was constructed sometime around 1080 CE and remained in function until the arrival of the Crusaders in the early thirteenth century, when it was taken over by Cistercian monks. In later years, the monastery took under various functions. It was used as a military headquarters during the Greek Revolution, as a barracks by Bavarian troops in the 1830s, and public mental hospital in the 1880s. The monastery is currently an archaeological site under the jurisdiction of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports (Western Attica Ephoreia) and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0438217

Non UBC

Unreviewed

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