Church of Panagia Chalkeon

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
The Church of Panagia Chalkeon
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Reference	456
UNESCO region	Europe
Coordinates	40°38′13″N 22°56′37″E / 40.636826°N 22.943669°E / 40.636826; 22.943669
Inscription history
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)

The Church of Panagia Chalkeon (Greek: Παναγία τῶν Χαλκέων) is an 11th-century Byzantine church in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.

Location

The church is located at Dikastirion Square, north of the Via Egnatia at the point where it crosses the Aristotelous Avenue, which leads to the Aristotelous Square. The archaeological site of the city's Roman forum is located northeast, while its name, which translates as "the Virgin of the Copper-smiths", derives from its proximity to the area traditionally occupied by the city's coppersmiths.^[1]

History and description

According to the founder's inscription above the west entrance, the church was built in 1028 by the protospatharios Christopher, katepano of Longobardia, and his wife Maria, son Nikephoros and two daughters, Anna and Katakale. Christopher's tomb was probably located in an arcosolium on the church's northern wall.^[1]^[2]

The ground plan is that of a classic "cross-in-square-form" typical of Macedonian-period architecture, with four columns and three domes, one central and two over the narthex. The entire building is built of bricks, which gave it the popular nickname "Red Church" (Κόκκινη Εκκλησιά). The exterior is enlivened with a variety of arches and pilasters, elements which can be traced to Constantinopolitan influence. The use of arches with several setbacks gives the building a "sculpted" appearance. In the interior, most of the carved marble decoration, as well as frescoes from the 11th and 14th centuries have been preserved.^[1]^[2]

With the conquest of the city in 1430 by the Ottoman Turks, the church was turned into a mosque, named Kazancilar Camii ("Mosque of the Cauldron-Merchants").^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 Παναγία των Χαλκέων, Θεσσαλονίκη, Hellenic Ministry of Culture (in Greek), retrieved 2010-04-21
1 2 Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, p. 1569, ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6

External links

Media related to Church of Panagia Chalkeon, Thessaloniki at Wikimedia Commons

Landmarks of Thessaloniki

Roman period	Arch of Galerius Navarinou Square Roman Forum

Paleochristian and Byzantine	Agias Sofias Square Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Hosios David Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Catherine Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of Prophet Elijah Hagios Demetrios Hagia Sophia Rotunda Walls of Thessaloniki

Ottoman period	Alaca Imaret Mosque Upper Town Bey Hamam Fountain Square Karipeion Melathron Konak New Mosque White Tower of Thessaloniki

Modern period	Alexandreio Melathron Aristotelous Square Gregory Palamas Metropolis Ladadika Modiano Market National Theatre of Northern Greece OTE Tower Port of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Concert Hall

Streets	Egnatia Street Nikis Avenue Tsimiski Street Vasilissis Olgas Street

Villas	Villa Allatini Villa Bianca Villa A.Kapanci Villa Modiano Villa Mordoch Gategno-Florentin mansion Palataki

Museums	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Atatürk Museum Balkan Wars Museum Museum of Byzantine Culture Cinema Museum Museum of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Instruments Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Museum for the Macedonian Struggle NOESIS Museum of Photography Railway Museum State Museum of Contemporary Art War Museum

Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki

UNESCO	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Hagios Demetrios Church of St. Catherine Hagia Sophia Church of the Holy Apostles Vlatades Monastery Church of St. Nicholas Orphanos Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of St. Panteleimon Church of the Saviour Church of Prophet Elijah Church of Hosios David (Latomos Monastery) City Walls

Other	Baptistery of St. John the Baptist Cemetery Basilica Church of St. George Heptapyrgion

Museums	Museum of Byzantine Culture Museum of Byzantine Instruments

World Heritage Sites in Greece

North	Aigai Mount Athos Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki City Walls Rotunda Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Saint Demetrios Latomou Monastery Church of Hagia Sophia Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Catherine Church of the Saviour Vlatades Monastery Church of Prophet Elijah Byzantine Bath

Central	Delphi Epidaurus Hosios Loukas Meteora Mycenae and Tiryns Mystras Old Town of Corfu Olympia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Attica	Acropolis of Athens Daphni Monastery

Aegean Islands	Delos Medieval city of Rhodes Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse Nea Moni of Chios Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos

Coordinates: 40°38′12.51″N 22°56′37.45″E / 40.6368083°N 22.9437361°E / 40.6368083; 22.9437361

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