Minas Cathedral (Heraklion)
The Minas Cathedral in Heraklion , actually Metropolitan Church of the Holy Menas (Agios Minas), Greek: Μητροπολιτικός Ναός του Αγίου Μηνά (Αγίου Μηνά), the Orthodox Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Crete and seat of the Archbishop . The cross-domed church was after 32 years of construction in 1895 inaugurated and has one of the largest cathedrals in Greece accommodate about 8,000 worshipers . It is named after St. Minas, the patron saint of Heraklion. The cathedral is located in the old town of Heraklion. The architect was Athanasios Moussis from Epirus.
history
In 1204 the Venetians conquered Crete. Due to the expulsion or prohibition of pastoral activities for the clergy of the Orthodox Church and the rededication of the Orthodox Cathedral of Agios Titos into a Roman Catholic cathedral, the Orthodox Church was without a church building .
After Crete was conquered by the Turks in 1669, the Agios Titos church building was converted into a mosque . As the political situation changed, an authorization from the Sultan allowed the Orthodox Church of Crete to build a church in 1725 . After 10 years of construction, the cathedral was completed and inaugurated in 1735.
The Metropolitan Church had become too small for the rapidly growing Orthodox church , so the construction of a new cathedral was necessary. Permission was granted through concessions to the Turkish occupiers. Under Metropolitan Dionysios Charitoniadis, construction began in 1862 according to the plans of the architect Athanasios Moussis from Epirus. The work was interrupted due to the uprising from 1866 to 1883. The cathedral was inaugurated on April 16, 1895 by Timotheos Kastrinoyiannis. The decoration was done with the help of Anastasios Orlandos , who designed the iconostasis in 1930 . The frescoes in the church show themes from the Bible and were only completed by Stelios Kartakis in 1964.
architecture
The Minas Cathedral is located on Agia Ekaterini Square in the old town of Heraklion. It is a cross-domed church with elements of a three-aisled basilica in the neo-Byzantine style. It has a rectangular floor plan and is 43.2 m long and 29.5 m wide. The two bell towers in the northeast and southeast have a height of 32.7 m, the central dome, the same height as the bell towers, has a diameter of 8.80 m and a height of 4.40 m and sits on an octagonal drum of 6 .05 m height. All domes and semi-domes are covered with glazed roof tiles. The building material is light sandstone from Crete.
Exterior view
Characteristics of the west facade are its size, the clear lines, the round arches and the symmetry. The main entrance is reached via four marble steps . The central risalit of the facade is divided into the lower section with the three semicircular arches and the carved wood doors. Above the portal , on a marble slab, is the biblical saying : “Come to me, all you laborious and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ( Mathäus 11:28 ) The part above with the narrow semicircular windows that stretch out leads to the circular gable window . To the right and left of it are the apocalyptic letters Alpha and Omega . The angular marble slabs, supported by neo-Byzantine pilasters , show inscriptions with biblical content:
- Right: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst" (Mathäus 18:20)
- Left: "I have chosen and hallowed this place so that my name may be here forever and my eyes and heart stay there every day." (From the Old Testament - dedication of the Solomonic Temple ).
The facade closes with a semicircular marble plaque with the inscription: " Faith - Hope - Love , love one another". The ten commandments are symbolically represented with the Latin numerals IX .
The symmetry around the longitudinal axis is continued in the south and north façades, which are adapted in their central elevation to that of the west facade. The facades differ in the number of windows to the left and right of the middle section: the west facade has two windows each, the north and south facades each have three windows. The transepts and the nave with narthex in the west are each 1.50 m in front. The east facade with the choir and the three apses provides further access to the sanctuary . The side apses are lower than the middle apsis. The two church towers in the northeast and southeast of the cathedral consist of three floors, the bells are housed on the middle floor . A mixture of elements of Neo-Renaissance , the Gothic Revival , the Neoclassicism and Neobyzantismus and ornaments of various kinds make the facades. Palmettes , acanthus , vines , birds etc. can be found in many types and forms as decorative accessories in the exterior view. This also applies to the interior view. The bomb dropped on the old town of Heraklion on May 23, 1941 fell on the cathedral but did not explode. This is called the miracle of St. Called Minas. The bomb is shown on the north forecourt of the cathedral.
inside view
The vestibule (narthex) in the western part of the cathedral is illuminated by colored stained glass windows . Three massive wooden gates, carved in the Renaissance style and flanked by two Ionic columns, lead into the interior of the cathedral. On both sides of the narthex window there are two marble tablets with inscriptions on the building history : laying of the foundation stone (1862) and inauguration of the cathedral (1895). After entering the church through the “Kingdom Gate”, the size and the splendor of colors become apparent. The nave with the central nave and the two slightly lower aisles confirms the cathedral as a basilica, among other features, recognizable by the separation of the naves by four pillars or half-columns and two Ionic columns made of artificial marble . The columns and pilasters are connected by belt arches and in the crossing form the basis for the tambour and the dome. The original iconostasis as well as the pulpit and the bishop's chair were made of wood, showed considerable damage and were restored in marble. The dimensions of the galleries on the north and south sides of the cathedral and the west gallery are roughly the same as those of the nave.
In the right transept the Agios Titos chapel invites you to pray, in the left transept it is the chapel of the "Ten Saints" (Agii Deka).
Furnishing
Iconostasis
The new iconostasis, built 1927–1930 by the architect Anastasios Orlandos (* 1887; † 1979), is made of white marble and extends over the entire width (17.0 m) of the choir room . It separates the faithful from the clergy at the liturgical celebration . Only clerics have access to the chancel. Three marble steps lead to the “Royal Door”, which is framed by an archway made of black and white marble. Two Doric columns with Byzantine capitals made of white marble each carry the archway, on which a stone cross made of white marble stands. To the left of the royal door on a gold background are shown: St. Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms and St. John , to the right of the door: Jesus Christ, next to St. Minas . Anastasios Orlandos not only created this iconostasis, but also the pulpit and the bishop's chair from marble in 1920.
Icons
Two wooden altars with icons of the Mother of God and Saint Mina, both with Silberoklad, stand out in the entrance of the central nave. Numerous other icons also testify to the awe and faith of the Orthodox Christians.
Frescoes
The religious representations on the walls and in the dome follow exactly the principles and motifs of Byzantine icon painting . The fresco painting of the church was not completed until 1964 by Stelios Kartakis. It depicts biblical themes: in the chancel: the life of Jesus and the Ascension , in the north aisle: Holy Week , in the south aisle: Resurrection and Pentecost , in the dome: Jesus as ruler of the world ( Pantocrator ), in the apse: Mother of God enthroned ( Hodegetria ) with Baby Jesus, including the Divine Mass ( communion ).
chandelier
Along the central axis of the main nave, three huge chandeliers made of gold and silver with the Byzantine double eagle fill the interior of the church. The middle chandelier , made of pure gold and shaped like a tiara , hangs directly under the dome and symbolizes the claim to world domination.
Bishop's chair
The bishop's chair on the right, built into the pillar between the crossing and the iconostasis, is made of white and black marble. The canopy is supported by four red marble columns.
pulpit
The pulpit on the left is built into the pillar in front of the crossing. It is also made of white marble. The five icons on the outer surfaces of the pulpit represent the proclamation of the Gospel . The pulpit and the bishop's seat were created by the architect Anastasios Orlando in 1920.
gallery
Layout
South facade with bell tower and dome
Cathedral illuminated inside
Interior view crossing
Ceiling fresco Mary with child above the chancel
Jesus ruler of the world
Interior: gold chandelier
Chandelier turned on with gold lighting
Marble pulpit
Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
Offering of Mary in the temple
Pentecost
Altar with St. Minas as an icon in Silberoklad
Holy altar room
Bomb on the north forecourt of the cathedral
literature
- Theocharis Detorakis: A History of Crete. Detorakis, Iraklion 1994, ISBN 960-220-712-4 .
- DuMont Art Travel Guide Crete Paperback. DuMont, o.O. 2011, ISBN 978-3-770-13801-2 , p. 100.
Web links
Coordinates: 35 ° 20 ′ 10.5 ″ N , 25 ° 7 ′ 50.1 ″ E