Monastery of Caesarian: Her unknown history and library with rare archives

On the west side of the Hymettus, between a green valley, lies the , where every Good Friday flocks a multitude of believers for the procession of the Epitaph. In various sources, the Kaisarian Monastery is still referred to as Kyriani or Sanktha Surgeani. It is one of the most beautiful Byzantine temples in Athens. CORVERSE In the old days the landscape was tree-covered and full of olives, while near the Monastery a spring with plenty and cold water was rising. This source is probably “Kallia”, as ancient Greeks and Roman poets called it. Just above this point the site in antiquity was dedicated to Venus and was called “Cyllus I got”, today commonly “Kallopoula”. In the early Christian centuries a Christian temple was established near the source, whose building materials were later used in later surrounding buildings. Today’s temple was built in the 11th century, and is dedicated to the Esodia of Virgin Mary. Around this temple developed the area, which is now called Caesarian. CORVERSE For the first time, Kaisariani refers to a letter by the Metropolitan of Athens Michael Acominatus in the early 13th century. The monastery was probably built during the Byzantine period, around 1100, which is the date of construction of the preserved church (the Catholic of the monastery). However, the site has a greater history as a cult space: in Antiquity, it was probably a space dedicated to Venus. Ruins of a large basilica are to the west, near a smaller church which was built between the 10th and 11th centuries. The library of the Monastery had a large number of manuscripts The Monastery is reported by Pope Innocent III after the Fourth Crusade, but it appears to have remained under the control of the Orthodox, while other churches and monasteries were occupied by Latin clergy. An additional, today abandoned one-aimed church, was built southwest during the Frankish occupation. When the Ottomans occupied Attica in 1458, Sultan Muhammad II went to the Monastery and according to James Spon (1675), a French doctor from Lyon, was given the key to the city. In 1678, Patriarch Dionysius IV defined the monastery as a crusade, that is, free and independent of the archdiocese: its only obligation was to hold funeral ceremonies. Later, in 1792, Patriarch Neophytos VII revoked the privileges of the monastery, which was again under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Athens. From 1824 onwards, the Monastery “was subjected to miserable treatment. What had in the past had an important role in enlightening humanity and in the safety of souls, was now a palace for cows, poultry and horses.” The Monastery of Caesariani had a very rich library (it had archives from libraries of ancient times) and was an important center of philosophy, where they taught influential philosophers and scholars of the time (Georgios Plython Gemistos), Theofanis in 1566, Ioannis Dorianos in 1675, the abbot Ezekiel Stefanakis, who was a connoisseur of Greek literature and history, and more specifically, Platonic philosophy. From 1722 to 1728, Theophanis Kavallaris conducted grammar and science courses in the area. According to sources of the time, during the siege of Athens by the Turks, all the manuscripts left were transferred to Acropolis and a pre-lit for the weapons of the time. The oldest surviving mural dates to the 14th century PHOTO OF AUTHORITY EUROKINISSI A tall wall surrounds the buildings, the Catholic (mainly church), the dining room, the bathroom and the cells, and thus, they are still quite protected. In the original design there were two entrances, the main entrance to the east side and one larger on the other side. The Monastery was built in the ruins of an older building. The design of the Kaisariani Monastery was made in 1745 by a Russian pilgrim named Barsky, and depicts the following buildings: the Catholic on the east side of the wall around the monastery, the bathroom on the south side, the cells of the monks, which border the Benizelou tower and the dining room on the west wing. Apart from the vegetable garden on the southwestern side of the Monastery, the monastery of monks and a younger church are depicted. The Catholic belongs to the usual Byzantine rhythm, with semi-hexagonal arches. However, the narthex and the frescoes of the catholic date back to the Ottoman period, as do most of the buildings of the Monastery, with the exception of the olive factory, which was originally a bath, which seems to be modern with the catholic. The buildings are scattered in a courtyard. The Catholic was located on the eastern side, the dining room and the kitchen on the west side as well as the bathroom, which was converted into the monastery’s oil factory during the Turkish occupation, and finally, the cells of the monks ahead of which was an open arcade. The Catholic was a cross-shaped, faithful to Greek tradition according to M. Sotiriou, or the semi-circular four-climate during Anastasios Orlando. The entrance of the temple was located on the west side without being separated from a narthex. There was another entrance to the north side, with a marble threshold and a Roman science. The narthex, which was definitely built before 1602, is a vaulted roof with dome and skylight in the middle. PHOTO OF AUTHORITY EUROKINISSI The oldest surviving mural in the form of the Virgin, 14th century, is located outside the Catholic and is visible from inside the chapel. The bathhouse of the Monastery, south of the catholic, is trollaeus, built with brick enclosed system. In post-Byzantine times it was incorporated into a building complex of various construction phases and part of it operated as an oil mill. The Monastery was closed in 1833, during Bavaria, by the decree of Georg Ludwig von Maurer, because they were leaving less than 6 monks. In collaboration with the Archaeological Service, Philodasiki restored the complex of the Monastery of Caesariani between 1952 and 1955. The union supervised and financed all the work. Tasos Margaritov, restored the post-Byzantine images it included. Today the Kaisariani Monastery is a preserved monument of the Ministry of Culture and is a visited site.