Panagia ton Chalkeon
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/01/01/07/181 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Panagia ton Chalkeon Thessalonike |
| Dates | 1888-1890 |
| Donor/Creator |
Weir Schultz, Mr Robert Barnsley, Mr Sidney Howard |
| Scope and Content | North elevation. This is a preliminary drawing. Further annotation in pencil survives. W.S. George (1906-1915/1907-1909?) has contributed to the drawings of this church. |
| Further information | The church of Panagia ton Chalkeon is the only surviving middle-Byzantine monument of Thessalonike. According to a dedicatory inscription built into the wall above the marble lintel of the west main entrance, it was built in 1028 by Christophoros, the katepano, of the Byzantine theme of Loggovardia (South Italy). The name ton Chalkeon refers to the Byzantine name of the area where the monument is located. In terms of architecture, the church is of the four-column, cross-in-square type. A two-storey narthex with two ripped domes -the cornice in the drum of the main dome is plain horizontal- is attached to the west. The monument is built purely of brick arranged according to the so-called ‘concealed course-technique’. A frieze of glazed coloured ceramic tiles with inscribed Kufic patterns decorates the south wall. The plan and design of the church have strongly been influenced by both Constantinopolitan monuments as well as by the church-building tradition of the Greek mainland. For example, triangular gables over the arms of the quincunx, characteristic of the so-called later ‘Greek School’, contrast in the building with semi-circular arches rising from the end bays of the narthex, a dominant feature mainly in Constantinopolitan architecture. Remarkably impressive is the sculpture and the wall-paintings that decorate the interior of the church. |