The monastery of Daphni

Daphni Monastery is built on an exceptional site at the western entrance to the Attica Basin, on the
edge of the forest at Chaidari. It is situated approximately halfway along the Sacred Way leading
from Athens to Eleusis, probably on the site of the sanctuary of Apollo Daphnaios. The monastery
is protected by a strong, square defensive wall with battlements, square towers and two gates.
The surrounding wall encloses the catholicon, which is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin
Mary, as well as the remains of the cells and the other buildings, such as the kitchens and
refectory.

As a large and wealthy institution, the monastery may owe its foundation to circles in the imperial
court. That being said, the donator’s identity and the precise foundation date remain unknown,
since no inscription or other evidence yielding definitive information has yet been found. The
catholicon or principal monastery church dates to the second half of the 11th century, and is of the
octagonal type found in mainland Greece, without galleries, but with a narthex and more recent
two-storey portico to the west. Sixteen single-lobed windows in the drum of the dome cast light
evenly into the church interior. Thanks to the absence of galleries, from the outside the building
appears to rise like a pyramid to the top of the dome. The walls were built of cloisonné masonry;
large white blocks of stone were used from the ground up to window level, laid in a cross formation
typical of the mid-Byzantine tradition in Greece proper. The ceramoplastic decoration is limited to
a band of meanders in the upper section of the sanctuary apse, dogtooth bands around the
window arches and above the cornice, and limited use of kufic ornaments.

An open portico added to the western part of the church in the early 12th century was later built up
and converted into an exonarthex. Its appearance was altered by Cistercian monks, to whom Otto
de la Roche, Duke of Athens, granted the monastery in 1207. Lancet windows typical of western
architecture have thus survived in the facade, probably in place of what were originally Byzantine
arches. At the same time, the crypt below the narthex was converted into a mausoleum for the
dukes of Athens, and a western-type monastery cloister consisting of a square courtyard with

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galleries was built to the south. When Athens was taken by the Ottoman Turks in 1458 the
monastery was returned to Orthodox monks. In Late Byzantine times a peculiar north-oriented
chapel was constructed to the west of the exonarthex.

In 1840, following the Greek revolution, the monastery lost its community and was abandoned,
only to be pressed into service as a public lunatic asylum. In the late 19th century continuous
earthquakes put the catholicon at risk of collapse. Repair work followed, during which the dome
was replaced and the mosaics repaired by Italian restorers. Some depictions were moved from
their original position during relaying, while others were added to. The interior of the catholicon
was laid out in the manner well known in the renowned buildings of Constantinople, with (now lost)
marble revetments and sculpture decoration in the lower section of the church, and mosaics in the
upper section.

The exceptional set of mosaics follows the iconographic programme established after the end of
the iconoclast controversy, reflecting new dogmatic beliefs centred on the Incarnation of the Lord.
The austere figure of the Pantocrator rendered in metal thus dominates the dome, surrounded by
prophets in the drum. The sanctuary niche has a depiction of the Virgin Mary enthroned,
accompanied by archangels. Scenes from the Christological cycle are rendered on the squinches,
the arches and the surfaces of the cross arms, together with saints and prelates at other points in
the church. The iconographic programme is rounded off in the narthex with scenes from the
Passion Cycle and the life of Virgin Mary. All the figures are represented in the right proportions,
displaying restrained movement, while the harmony and symmetry of the compositions point to art
strongly rooted in the classic tradition. Typical of this is the posture adopted by the prophets in the
drum of the dome, which is reminiscent of ancient philosophers, as well as the graceful female
figures in the narthex compositions. The Crucifixion scene in the church’s northern cross-arm
renders the grief on the faces of the Virgin Mary and John in a unique manner. The flawless
workmanship displayed in the church decoration point to a founder of considerable means, and
artists trained in a Constantinople workshop.

These exquisite mosaics date to somewhere between the 10th and late 11th century rank; in
terms of quality they rank among the masterpieces of Byzantine art. Their classicistic character
has recently led them to being assigned to the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (913-959),
though the general consensus is that they date to the late 11th century.

The monument has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL) since 1990.

Glossary (15)

catholicon: the main church of a monastery. As a rule it was the most imposing one, located in the
center of the courtyard

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 domed octagon: single-nave church with square plan covered by a dome, which has octagonal
support. A variant of this type is the cross-domed octagon found in mainland Greece. This is
square or rectangular in plan and merges the dome of the octagonal church with the cross-vaulted
extremeties of a cruciform church.

gallery or tribune: upper story of a church above the side naves and the narthex.

narthex: oblong reception area extending along the western side of a basilica. Originally the east
portico of the atrium, it was later incorporated into the church, and served as a waiting area for
catechumens, who were not allowed to attend the Divine Liturgy.

single-lobed or single-light window: window with a single opening that forms an arc at the top.

drum: hemispherical vault resting on a cylindrical or polygonal drum. Widely used in Christian
church architecture.

dome: hemispherical vault resting on a cylindrical or polygonal drum. Widely used in Christian
church architecture.

cloisonne masonry: elaborate church masonry style, in which rectangular stones are framed by
one or two plinths (bricks) laid horizontally and vertically in single or double rows within the mortar
of joints.

ceramoplastic decoration: ceramic and plinth decorative elements inlayed on the exterior
surfaces of church walls (bricks, meanders, crosses, diamonds, jagged strips, etc.)

dogtooth, dentil, saw-tooth or course: ceramic decorative elements that can be oblong or meet
along the crowning of the roof, like frames surrounding windows. Can be single or double.

kufic ornaments: Decorative motifs, mimicking the first Arabic script to appear in the 7th century
in Kufa, Mesopotamia. Usually employed on the external surfaces of churches, rendered in small
immured clay tablets.

exonarthex or outer narthex: external gallery in the western part of a church, between the narthex
and the atrium.

Christological cycle: scenes in the iconographic program of a church that depict the life of Christ,
from the Annunciation to the Ascension.

squinch: small arch or half-domed niche introduced into Byzantine architecture during the Middle
Byzantine period. It is set in the corners of a square area, transforming it into an octagonal
capable of supporting a large dome.

The Passion Cycle: Group of works depicting the Passion of Christ in chronological order: the

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Last Supper, the Washing of his Feet, the Agony in the Garden, the Betrayal, the Flagellation, the
Road to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the Deposition, the Lamentation, the Entombment, the Harrowing
of Hell, the Appearance to the Apostles, the Doubting of Thomas.

Information Texts (2)

The city: Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, was built on the site of the
ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn, the
Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade routes
linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople in 330 AD as a
city to rival Rome in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of space
and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new strong walls that protected
Constantinople until the end of the Byzantine Empire. The city was laid out after Rome. A main
road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden Gate. On this road was the Forum, a
circular plaza with a statue of Constantine mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings.
Theodosius I and Arcadius later built more forums decorated with their own statues. Following the
Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople with magnificent edifices, palaces,
baths and public buildings. This time also saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom),
the church which served as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine
period. During the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced major problems that threw it into
disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in 674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural
disasters (a powerful, destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited
building activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on strengthening the
city's fortifications. With the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the 9th to the 11th century,
Constantinople became the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were
Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as Jews, Armenians,
Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia.
Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with an emphasis on
establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages and schools.
Higher education flourished, thanks to the care of the state and the emergence of important
scholars. This renaissance lasted until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor
management set in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the
borders. The Crusaders left Constantinople entirely unscathed when first passing through, but in
the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those
inhabitants they did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael VIII
Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved unable to restore the
city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it was, the empire was incapable of checking
the advance of the Ottomans, and in 1453 Constantinople finally fell into their hands. The fall
signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual tradition remained
significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions of Crete and the Peloponnese, as
well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West.

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 Iconoclast Controversy: movement that condemned the worship of images depicting God or the
saints. Initiated in 726 or 730 by Leo III, temporarily halted in 787 by Empress Irene, resumed
again in 815 by Leo V and finally ended in 843 by Empress Theodora. During the two periods of
Iconoclasm, the iconographic programmes in churches were replaced by geometric shapes, floral
motifs, the sign of the cross, etc. Iconodules, those remaining true to the worship of icons, suffered
persecution.

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