Nea Moni of Chios
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location | Chios, Greece |
Part of | Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios |
Criteria | Cultural: (i)(iv) |
Reference | 537-003 |
Inscription | 1990 (14th Session) |
Area | 1.33 ha (3.3 acres) |
Buffer zone | 372.27 ha (919.9 acres) |
Coordinates | 38°22′26″N 26°03′20″E / 38.37389°N 26.05556°E |
Nea Moni (
History
The monastery was built in the mid-11th century, by
The monastery was early on endowed with privileges: in a
The monastery's decline began only after the destruction of Chios by the Ottomans in April 1822, during the Greek War of Independence. 2,000 people had sought refuge in the monastery, but the Ottomans stormed it, slaughtered many, and set fire to the templon and other wooden furnishings of the church, including the roof, leaving the rest of the refugees to burn there.[5] The monastery never recovered its former glory.
In 1881, an earthquake added further damage to the main church, leading to the collapse of its dome, while several other buildings, like the 1512 bell-tower, were destroyed.[3] In 1952, due to the shortage of monks, Nea Moni was converted to a convent. According to the 2001 census, it is inhabited by only three nuns.
Structures and architecture
The monastery complex covers an area of approximately 17,000 m2 and consists of the katholikon, two smaller churches (dedicated to the
The katholikon is the monastery's central structure, dedicated to the
Along with the katholikon, the only remaining 11th century buildings are the partially ruined tower, the chapel of St Luke, the cistern and parts of the trapeza.[2] The cells, most of which are in a ruined state, date to the Venetian and Genovese periods. A small museum, opened in 1992, exists to the NW of the katholikon, housed in a renovated cell. The displayed artifacts date mostly from the latter 19th century.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Nea Moni of Chios, from the Church of Greece website
- ^ a b c d e The Nea Moni of Chios Archived 2007-10-23 at the Wayback Machine, from the Greek Ministry of Culture
- ^ Linder, Amnon: The Jews in the Legal Sources of the Early Middle Ages, pp. 160-163
- ^ Finlay, George (1861). History of the Greek Revolution, Vol. I. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. pp. 313–314.
- ^ The Musemum of the Nea Moni of Chios Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, from the Greek Ministry of Culture
External links
- (in Greek and English) The Nea Moni Monastery's website
- (in Greek) The Nea Moni of Chios, from the Greek Ministry of Culture
- (in Greek) The Nea Moni of Chios, from the Church of Greece website
- (in Greek) Byzantine Mosaics of Nea Moni Archived 2011-08-15 at the Wayback Machine