Little Metropolis

The Little Metropolis (

Byzantine church located at the Mitropoleos Square (Cathedral of Athens), next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens (the "Great Metropolis").^[2]

History and dating

The church is built on top of the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess

Theotokos Atheniotissa in the Parthenon—by the Turks and its conversion into a mosque.^[8]

Originally dedicated to the

Christ the Saviour, and then to Saint Eleutherios.^[1]^[2] In 1856, the church underwent restoration to its original state, in which its more recent additions, such as its bell-tower, were removed.^[1]

On 16 January 2023, the Little Metropolis was used as the location of the lying-in-state of

King of the Hellenes, whom a "crowd of thousands" prostrated and mourned.^[9]

Description

The church has a typical Byzantine layout, being cross-in-square, with a three-aisled nave with the central aisle higher than the flanking ones.

bricks have been used, except for the dome.^[2] Its interior was originally decorated entirely with frescoes, but only one of these survives today: an image of the Panagia over the entrance apse.^[10]

37°58′30.02″N 23°43′48.06″E / 37.9750056°N 23.7300167°E / 37.9750056; 23.7300167

Gallery

Sketch of 1887
Photo of 1901
Interior
The church on a Russian stamp of 1994

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Freely 2004, p. 231.
^
Greek Ministry of Culture. Archived from the original
on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.

^ Kiilerich 2005, p. 95.
^ Kiilerich 2005, pp. 95, 106.
^ Kiilerich 2005, pp. 95, 108.
^ Kiilerich 2005, pp. 103–104.
^ Kiilerich 2005, pp. 107–108.
^ Kiilerich 2005, pp. 108–111.
^ Bectaros, Elena; Tongas, Theodora (16 January 2023). "Thousands turn out to bid farewell Greece's former king". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Freely 2004, p. 232.

Sources

Media related to Panagía Gorgoepíkoös at Wikimedia Commons

ISBN 978-1-85043-595-2
.

Kiilerich, Bente (2005). "Making Sense of the Spolia in the Little Metropolis in Athens". Arte Medievale. n.s. IV (2): 95–114. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)

[FOOTNOTEFreely2004231-1] Freely 2004, p. 231.

[odysseus-2] 
Greek Ministry of Culture. Archived from the original
on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich200595-3] Kiilerich 2005, p. 95.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich200595,_106-4] Kiilerich 2005, pp. 95, 106.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich200595,_108-5] Kiilerich 2005, pp. 95, 108.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich2005103–104-6] Kiilerich 2005, pp. 103–104.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich2005107–108-7] Kiilerich 2005, pp. 107–108.

[FOOTNOTEKiilerich2005108–111-8] Kiilerich 2005, pp. 108–111.

[9] Bectaros, Elena; Tongas, Theodora (16 January 2023). "Thousands turn out to bid farewell Greece's former king". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.

[FOOTNOTEFreely2004232-10] Freely 2004, p. 232.

[2]

[8]

[1]

[9]

[10]

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