Daphni Monastery

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Daphni Monastery, inner courtyard (2017)
Daphni Monastery, exterior view (2017)
Mosaics, in the center of the dome: Christ Pantocrator
Mosaic: Annunciation of the Nativity

The Daphni monastery , also written Dafni , ( Greek Μονή Δαφνίου Moní Dafníou ) near Athens , together with the monasteries Hosios Lukas near Delphi and Nea Moni on Chios, is one of the three most important Byzantine sacred buildings of the 11th century in Greece. It is located nine kilometers west-northwest of the city center of Athens on a low pass through the Egaleo Mountains near the suburb of Dafni, which belongs to the Chaidari municipality . It is particularly known for its mosaics and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 .

The name "Daphni" ( ancient Greek δάφνη daphnē ) means ' laurel ', the sacred plant of the god Apollo .

history

In ancient times there was probably an ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo on the site of the monastery. An early Christian church was built on this site in the 5th century, which was replaced by the current structure around 1080. In 1206, as a result of the Fourth Crusade , it was handed over to the Cistercian order by Otto de la Roche , Grand Lord of Thebes and Athens , more precisely monks of the Bellevaux monastery , which his great-grandfather had founded in Franche-Comté . This was part of Otto's plan to introduce a Latin church system into his rule, as did his family monastery. The Cistercians stayed until 1458 (see Daphni Cistercian Monastery ).

Since the beginning of the Turkish occupation of Athens in 1458, the monastery was again inhabited by Orthodox monks, who made major contributions to the national liberation struggle until 1821 . The Daphni monastery fell into disrepair and was dissolved in 1821 under Ottoman administration.

In the 19th century the complex housed a sanatorium for a short time .

The monastery complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990. It was badly damaged in an earthquake in 1999 and has been undergoing a lengthy renovation since then. At least the cloister courtyard has been accessible again since October 15, 2008.

A wine festival, popular with tourists, takes place at the monastery every autumn, where the sweet Mavrodafni can be tasted.

Mosaics

One of the most important Byzantine mosaic cycles of the 11th century has been preserved in the church. The scenic representations are part of a festive cycle . In the center of the dome is an image of Christ Pantocrator , in the area below between the windows there are standing prophets. The penditifs show the Annunciation to Mary , the birth of Christ , the baptism of Christ and the transfiguration of Christ . In the northern arm of the cross there is the birth of Mary , the entry into Jerusalem , the crucifixion of Christ and the encounter with the unbelieving Thomas , in the southern arm of the cross the adoration of the magicians and the anastasis , on the western wall of the Naos there are still remains of the Koimesis .

In the narthex are the prayer of Joachim and Anna , Mariae Tempelgang, the washing of the feet , remains of the Lord's Supper and the betrayal of Judas .

literature

  • Gabriel Millet : Le monastère de Daphni. Histoire, architecture, mosai͏̈ques. Leroux, Paris 1899.
  • Oskar Wulff : Early Christian and Byzantine art. Volume 2: Byzantine Art. Academic Publishing Company Athenaion, Berlin-Neubabelsberg 1914, pp. 565-568 ( digitized version ).
  • Ernst Diez , Otto Demus : Byzantine mosaics in Greece, Hosios Lucas & Daphni. Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA 1931.
  • Robin Cormack: Rediscovering the Christ Pantocrator at Daphni. In: Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 71, 2008, pp. 55-74.

Web links

Commons : Daphni Monastery  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Isabella Baldini Lippolis: Il monastero di Dafnì (Grecia): la fase protobizantina. In: Silvia Pasi (ed.): Studi in memoria di Patrizia Angiolini Martinelli. Bologna 2005, pp. 31-48.

Coordinates: 38 ° 0 '47 "  N , 23 ° 38' 9"  E