Hodegetria Monastery

Phaistos, Greece

Hodegetria Monastery is one of the oldest and grandest monasteries on Crete, with its history closely linked to that of small monasteries and hermitages in the Asteroussia region.

It is a citadel-type monastery, with a large fortified tower in its courtyard that protected the monks from pirates arriving by sea in the south. According to tradition, this tower was initially built by Nikiforos Fokas in 961 AD. However, the present-day tower is more recent, built at the site of the first one during the era of Venetian rule, but retaining many of its Byzantine characteristics.

The two-aisled church at the centre of the courtyard is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Holy Apostles.

Several additions have been made to the initial structure and its interior includes murals, portable icons by renowned painters, an artful chancel screen and important holy vestments. 

During the era of Ottoman rule, the monastery served as the seat and refuge of revolutionaries and its history has been linked with Xopateras, a dynamic monk who fought the Ottomans laying siege to the Monastery on his own. After the Ottomans killed him, they set fire to the tower and destroyed the monastery.

The monastery includes wonderful 15th century icons by the painter Angelos, such as the Life-giving Fontand Saint Fanourios, while the murals of the chapels and nearby churches, which are also worthy of note, were painted during various eras.

There is a small museum with an old oil press, a stone oven, old farming tools, a wine press and other utensils.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Religious sites in Greece

Rating

4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

İbrahim Belin (3 years ago)
Frank Plytas (3 years ago)
Xm Xm (3 years ago)
Hachmed Rachid (4 years ago)
Hodegon Manastırı (veya Panaghia Hodegetria), Ayasofya'nın doğusunda, Mangana Mahallesi'nde, Akropolis'in doğu yamacında bulunuyordu. Hacıgayı (kutsal baharı) ve Bakire Hodegetria'nın ünlü simgesi Konstantinopolis'te önemli bir hac bölgesi haline getirmiştir. Adı, Hodegon (“kılavuzlar”), görünüşte kör hacıları yönlendiren keşişlerden, görmeyi yeniden canlandırabilen mucizevi bir yay (hagiasma) türetmiştir. Daha sonraki bir geleneğe göre, Pulcheria, kısmen önemli kalıntıları barındırmak için Hodegon'u (Blachernai ve Chalkoprateia ile birlikte) kurdu. Bununla birlikte, büyük olasılıkla Michael III tarafından yaptırılmış, ancak daha önce bir döneme dayanan hagiasma. Daha sonra geleneğe göre Aziz Luke tarafından boyanmış Bakire Hodegetria'nın Simgesini barındırıyordu. Bu meşhur simge, 11. yüzyıla kadar kaydedilmemişken, louma'sı (ritüel banyosu) 12. yüzyıla kadar da bahsedilmiyor. Yine de Ortodoksluk Zaferi'ni gören Michael III'ün saltanatı, yaratılışları için çok uygun bir an gibi görünüyor. Palaiologan döneminde, scriptorium gelişti ve lüks el yazmaları üretti. Palaiologan imparatorları manastırla yakından ilişkiliydi ve sık sık ziyaret ettiler. Mesela Andronikos III, 1341'de orada öldü. Geç Bizans döneminde, Hodegetria'nın simgesi her gün Salı günü tedavi edilmek isteyen büyük kalabalığın katıldığı sokaklarda alaylarla taşındı. Böylece, Hodegon'daki hagiasma ikonu tarafından gölgede bırakıldı, tıpkı Blachernai'deki hagiazma benzer şekilde daha ünlü ikonu tarafından tutuluyordu. 13. ve 14. yüzyılın sonlarında manastır, Antakya Patrikhanesine bir metok olarak verildi ve Konstantinopolis'i ziyaret eden Suriyeli rahipler için bir konut olarak kullanıldı. İstanbul işgali sırasında Topkapı'da kamp yapan Fransız ordusu, 1922-23 yıllarında bölgeyi kazdı ve Mangana Mahallesi'nde, Hodegon olarak tanımlanan kalıntılar da dahil olmak üzere çeşitli yapıların kalıntılarını aydınlattı. Sonuçlar daha sonra Demangel ve Mamboury tarafından yayınlanmasına rağmen, tüm bölgeyi kazmaya yetecek kadar zaman yoktu. Geçici Hodegon olarak keşfedilen kalıntılar bir hekzakon içerir. Her ne kadar bilim adamları kimlikleri konusunda bölünmüş olsalar da, Hodegon'un topografik açıklamaları, Hodegon Manastırı'nın bu kalıntıların yakınında bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Heksakonch daha sonra Hodegon'un hagiası veya vaftizhanesi olarak tanımlandı. Aynı zamanda heksakondan tepenin aşağısındaki küçük bir odanın hagiasma olması da mümkündür.
Hasmet Reşit (4 years ago)
The Hodegon Monastery (or Panaghia Hodegetria) was located on the eastern slope of the Acropolis, in the Mangana neighborhood, east of Hagia Sophia. The famous landmark of Hajji (holy spring) and the Virgin Hodegetria has made it an important pilgrimage site in Constantinople. His name, Hodegon ("guides"), derives the miraculous bow (hagiasma) from the monks who seemingly led blind pilgrims, who can revive vision. According to a later tradition, the Pulcheria established Hodegon (with Blachernai and Chalkoprateia) in part to accommodate the important remains. Nevertheless, it was probably built by Michael III, but hagiasma based on a period before. Later, according to tradition, the symbol of the Virgin Hodegetria was painted by Saint Luke. This famous symbol is not recorded until the 11th century, and its louma (ritual bath) is not mentioned until the 12th century. Nevertheless, the reign of Michael III, who saw the Orthodox Victory, seems to be a very suitable moment for their creation. During the Palaiologan period, scriptorium flourished and produced luxurious manuscripts. The emperors of the palaiologan were closely associated with the monastery and frequently visited. For example, Andronikos III died there in 1341. In the late Byzantine period, the symbol of the Hodegetria was carried out with ridiculars on the streets where the big crowd, who wanted to be treated every day, attended Tuesday. Thus, he was overshadowed by the icon of hagiasma in Hodegon, as he was held by his more famous icon, similar to the one in Blachernai. At the end of the 13th and 14th centuries, the monastery was given as a meteorite to the Patriarchate of Antioch, and was used as a residence for the Syrian priests visiting Constantinople. During the occupation of Istanbul, the French army camped in Topkapı excavated the area in 1922-23 and illuminated the remains of various structures in the Mangana Quarter, including the so-called Hodegon. Although the results were later published by Demangel and Mamboury, there was not enough time to dig up the whole area. The remains discovered as transient Hodegon include a hexacone. Although the scientists are divided on their identities, Hodegon's topographic descriptions indicate that the Hodegon Monastery is located near these ruins. The hexakonch was later defined as the baptistery or baptistery of the Hodegon. It is also possible that a small room below the hill from the hexacone is hagiasma.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Goryokaku Fortress

Goryōkaku (五稜郭) (literally, 'five-point fort') is a star fort in the Japanese city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. The fortress was completed in 1866. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.

Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Ayasaburō and Jules Brunet. Their plans was based on the work of the French architect Vauban. The fortress was completed in 1866, two years before the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It is shaped like a five-pointed star. This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire.

The fort was built by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect the Tsugaru Strait against a possible invasion by the Meiji government.

Goryōkaku is famous as the site of the last battle of the Boshin War.