Christian Building Phases

Remains of the 5th century church in Hadrians Library

 

http://www.stoa.org/athens/sites/libraryofhadrian/image/p20090.jpg

 

The Rise of Christianity in Athens

During the 5th century, many churches were built and inaugurated; in general they were located quite near to older pagan temples.

 

The reason for this close proximity might be that the  Christians were still a minority in Athens (and in Greece, in general). This meant that they needed to create a separate architectural identity, but at the same time had to do this while laying claim to an area that was already associated with religious practise, only of another kind.

 

In this period, the very first Christian church in Athens was built, a tetraconch church built at the centre of Hadrian’s Library.

 

 

Christian Dominance

Apparently, during the 6th and 7th centuries Christianity was rising. This is demonstrated by the fact that both the Hephaistus Temple and the Parthenon (693 AD) were converted from pagan temples to churches.

 

Of course, it can be argued that due to the high demand for churches it was simply more practical to convert buildings than to construct them. Nevertheless, Christianity had gained a considerable foothold in this period of time, and held priority over its ancient predecessors.

 

 

The Byzantine Period

  • A Break in Building

    From the 8th to the 10th century, the boom in building churches collapsed enormously. Virtually no churches were built, and there seems to have been little demand for them.

     

    There were various reasons for this decline in building activity, and one of the most likely is economic and demographic stagnation. Another reason can be sought in the shift of displaying wealth from public to private, as the graves in this period became extremely rich.

     

    Furthermore, an event that may have greatly influenced the economic capability of Athens was the Arab attack on the city that took place in 896 AD.

  • Getting Back into the Swing

    During the 11th and 12th centuries,   church building returned in full swing, only now the churches were much smaller than the ones built in Late  Antiquity. Even so, the sheer number of churches illustrates a growing demand for places of worship.

     

    In Byzantine times Athens flourished greatly due to the increase  in trade  by then, and the churches that were built in this period developed a particular Athenian style.

     

    This is also the first period in which the Arab presence in Athens was large enough that a mosque may have been built.

     

     

Slideshow of the Church of the Holy Apostles