Information about Hagios Demetrios

For other uses, see Agios Dimitrios (disambiguation).

Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika Church of Agios Dimitrios*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Church of Hagios Demetrios.
State Party	Greece
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Reference	456
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki, dating from a time when it was the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

History

St Demetrios with children: one of very few Byzantine mosaics that escaped destruction from the hands of the Iconoclasts.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath that used to stand there before. A century later, a prefect called Leontios had this small oratory replaced with a larger, three-aisled basilica. The church was repeatedly gutted by fires, and eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629-634. This was the church much as it is today. It was the most important shrine in the city, probably larger that the local cathedral, whose very location is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine to the saint called the ciborium, a hexagonal roofed structure at one side of the nave, made of, or covered with, silver. This had doors, and inside a couch or bed. Also unusually, there were no physical relics of the saint, and the ciborium seems to have operated as a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.^[1]

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Iconoclastic policies in 730. These mosaics, depicting St Demetrius with the officials responsible for the restoration (called the founders) or children, represent a rare example of this art surviving from the Dark Age that followed Justinian's death. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heavens for saving the people of Saloniki from a pagan Slavic raid in 612.

Other magnificent mosaics that used to cover the church interior perished either during four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493-1912) or in a great fire that in 1917 destroyed much of the city, including the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour copies give an idea of what a priceless monument of early Byzantine craftsmanship was lost during the fire.

It took decades to restore the church following the 1917 catastrophe. The excavations, conducted in the 1930s and 1940s, brought to life some interesting items that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church's crypt. The excavations uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath where St. Demetrius had supposedly been held prisoner and later executed. A Roman well was discovered too and it is believed that it's the same well that the soldiers who executed St. Demetrius dropped his body later.

References

1. ^ Robin Cormack, "Writing in Gold, Byzantine Society and its Icons", 1985, George Philip, London, ISBN 054001085-5

External Links

Hellenic Ministry of Culture

• • [ e]

World Heritage Sites in Greece

Acropolis, Athens Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina) Archaeological Site of Delphi Archaeological Site of Mystras Archaeological Site of Olympia Archaeological Site of Mycenae, and Tiryns Delos Historic Centre (Chor) with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Ptmos Medieval City of Rhodes Metora Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas, Nea Moni of Chios Mount Athos Old Town of Corfu Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika: (Hagios Demetrios, Arch and Tomb of Galerius, Hagia Sophia, Church of Panayia Halkeion, Church of Saint Nicolaos Orfanou, Church of Agioi Apostoloi, Church of Acheiropoiitos, Monastery of Latomou, Church of Agios Panteleimon) Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Coordinates:

Agios Dimitrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος, "St Demetrius") may refer to:

Agios Dimitrios, a suburb of Athens, Greece

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A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO
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State Party Natural WHS Cultural WHS Mixed WHS Total WHS Zone
Afghanistan 2 2 Asia-Pacific
Albania 2 2 Europe & North America
Algeria 6 1 7 Arab States
Andorra 1 1 Europe & North America
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Motto
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
Eleftheria i thanatos
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Greek}}}
Writing system: Greek alphabet
Official status
Official language of: Greece
Cyprus
European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
European Union
Italy
Turkey
Regulated by:
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Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος της Θεσσαλονίκης) was a Christian martyr who is said to have lived in
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Location

Coordinates Coordinates:
Time zone: EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max): 0 - 20 m (0 - 0 ft)
Government
Country:
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Byzantine Empire or Byzantium is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered on its capital of Constantinople.
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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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Org type: Specialized Agency
Acronyms: UNESCO
Head: Director General of UNESCO

Koïchiro Matsuura

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Status: Active

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As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century (per the Julian/Gregorian calendar and Anno Domini era) was that century which lasted from 301 to 400.

Overview

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oratory is also a semi-public place of worship, other than a public church, constructed for the benefit of a group of persons (Code of Canon law, canon 1223).^[1] Other faithful may attend the church under certain circumstances.
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Christianity

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ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated hosts of the sacrament of Holy Communion. A ciborium is also an architectural feature in some churches.
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MOSAIC may refer to:

MOSAIC Research Group
MOSAIC Threat Assessment Systems
MOSAIC (housing cooperative)
Maui Optical System and Integration Center

This article is about a decorative art.

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Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major domestic political or religious changes.
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Justinian I
Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

Justinian depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna
Reign 9 August 527 - 13 or 14 November 565
Full name Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus
Born
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mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid Arabic: مسجد — pronounced: /ˈmæsʤɪd/ (pl.
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The Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 was one of the most important incidents that marked the history of the city. It was an accident that considerably changed the physiognomy of the city. The fire burned for 32 hours and destroyed 9,500 houses within an extent of 1 square kilometer.
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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Year 1917 (MCMXVII
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Watercolor painting ("watercolour" in British English and "aquarelle" in France) is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork, in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water soluble vehicle.
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crypt (from the Latin crypta and the Greek kryptē) is a stone chamber or vault, usually beneath the floor of a church or castle, usually used as a chapel or burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics of important persons such as saints or
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Motto
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
Eleftheria i thanatos
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State Party Greece
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 404
Region Europe and North America

Inscription History
Inscription 1987 (11th Session)
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State Party Greece
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iii
Reference 780
Region Europe and North America

Inscription History
Inscription 1996 (20th Session)
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State Party Greece
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference 393
Region Europe and North America

Inscription History
Inscription 1987 (11th Session)
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