Church of St. Athanasius of Mouzaki
| Church of Saint Athanasius of Mouzaki | |
|---|---|
Ναός του Αγίου Αθανασίου του Μουζάκη Shën Thanasi i Muzakajve | |
 Church of St. Athanasius of Mouzaki in 2010 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Eastern Orthodox |
| Leadership | Greek Orthodox Church |
| Location | |
| Location | Kastoria, Greece |
Interactive map of Church of Saint Athanasius of Mouzaki | |
| Coordinates | 40°30′55″N 21°16′02″E / 40.5152°N 21.2672°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Byzantine architecture |
| Founder | Teodor II Muzaka and Stoya Muzaka |
| Completed | 1384 |
St. Athanasius of Mouzaki (Greek: Άγιος Αθανάσιος του Μουζάκη) is a Greek Orthodox church located in Kastoria, Greece.[1][2] It was built in 1383–1384 by the brothers Teodor II Muzaka and Stoya Muzaka of the house of Muzaka, a noble Albanian family that controlled the city at the time, and it is dedicated to St. Athanasius.[1][2] It is considered one of the most important monuments of 14th century Kastoria and is the last church built in Kastoria before its annexation by the Ottoman Empire.[2]
Decorations
The church is decorated with scenes of saints dressed in Byzantine clothing, a typical feature of Byzantine iconography. The frescoes are remarkable for depicting for the first time in Byzantine iconography, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in imperial costume.[3] The depiction of Virgin Mary as a queen is an atypical feature for the Byzantine iconography.[4] Another unusual feature of the church is that, despite the fact that St. Alexander is traditionally not included among the ranks of military saints,[5] the church of St Athanasius of Mouzaki is decorated with a portrait of St. Alexander and St. Mercurios in military clothing. Within the church is also a fresco of Saint George who is painted rather strange and particularly odd in the Byzantine-styled art. He is wearing a mantle and a cloak that has a double-headed eagle with a star in the middle. Exists a theory by Albanian historian Pëllumb Xhufi that the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos rewarded to Andrea II Muzaka with Byzantine Double-headed eagle from his victory over Vukašin of Serbia, and that George fresco was about Muzaka. This theory could imply that during the Middle Ages, Andrea was viewed as a great warrior of God by the Albanian people.[6]
Legacy
The church influenced greatly the artistic production of Kastoria and Western Macedonia in the late 14th and early 15th century.[7]
Gallery
Front view of the Church
Side view of the Church
Back view of the Church
The Founders Inscription with the names of the founders Stoya Muzaka and Teodor II Muzaka.webp.png)
Icons on the wall
Depiction of Saint George[8] in the church.
Frescoes of Saints Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratelates
Fresco of the Raising of Lazarus
A scene from the church depicting the Dormition of the Mother of God
Depiction of Trimorph of Deesis: Jesus in royal Byzantine robes; Next to him is his mother Mary wearing similar robing, John the Baptist, Saint George and an unknow head bearded saint. [9]
See also
Sources
- Pazaras (Παζαράς), Nikolaos (Νικόλαος) (2013). "The Frescoes of the Church of Saint Athanasius Mouzakis and their Place in the Context of Monumental Painting in Kastoria and the Surrounding Regions (Kastoria, Upper Macedonia, Northern Epirus . . . Οι τοιχογραφίες του ναού του Αγίου Αθανασίου του Μουζάκη και η ένταξή τους στη μνημειακή ζωγραφική της Καστοριάς και της ευρύτερης περιοχής (Καστοριά, μείζων Μακεδονία, Β. Ήπειρος)". freader.ekt.gr. pp. 560–570. doi:10.12681/eadd/29197. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
- 1 2 Facaros, Dana; Theodorou, Linda (2003). Greece. New Holland Publishers. p. 563. ISBN 1-86011-898-4.
- 1 2 3 "St Athanasius of Mouzakis" (in Greek). Kastoria City. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ↑ Herrin, Judith (2013). Unrivalled Influence: Women and Empire in Byzantium. Princeton University Press. p. 172. ISBN 9780691153216.
The first time Christ and the Virgin appear in imperial costume occurs only outside the empire in Kastoria and on the eve of the Ottoman conquest in 1384-85.
- ↑ Vassilaki, Maria (2000). Mother of God: representations of the Virgin in Byzantine art. Skira. p. 129. ISBN 88-8118-738-8.
- ↑ Walter, Christopher (2003). The warrior saints in Byzantine art and tradition. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 245. ISBN 1-84014-694-X.
- ↑ Xhufi, Pëllumb (2009). Nga Paleologët te Muzakajt (in Albanian). Shtëpia Botuese 55. pp. 278–279. ISBN 978-99943-56-50-8.
- ↑ Myrtalē Acheimastou-Potamianou, ed. (1988). Holy image, holy space: icons and frescoes from Greece. Greek Ministry of Culture. p. 194.
- ↑ Pazaras 2013, p. 566, Εικ. 94. Καστοριά, Άγιος Αθανάσιος του Μουζάκη. Βόρειος τοίχος κυρίως ναού. Ο άγιος Γεώργιος και αδιάγνωστος γενειαφόρος άγιος από τον πίνακα με το Τρίμορφο της Δέησης ... Fig. 94. Kastoria, Saint Athanasius of Mouzakis. North wall of the main church. Saint George and an unknow head bearded saint from the painting with the Trimorph of Deesis.
- ↑ Pazaras 2013, p. 565, Εικ. 92. Καστοριά, Άγιος Αθανάσιος του Μουζάκη. Βόρειος τοίχος κυρίως ναού, ανατολικό τμήμα. Το Τρίμορφο της Δέησης. Εικ. 93. Καστοριά, Άγιος Αθανάσιος του Μουζάκη. Βόρειος τοίχος κυρίως ναού. Πίνακας με το Τρίμορφο της Δέησης, τον άγιο Γεώργιο και αδιάγνωστο γενειαφόρο άγιο. ... Fig. 92. Kastoria, Saint Athanasius of Mouzakis. North wall of the main church, eastern section. The Trimorph of Deesis. Fig. 93. Kastoria, Saint Athanasius of Mouzakis. North wall of the main church. Painting with the Trimorph of Deesis, Saint George and an unidentified bearded saint..
