Nestorian Church (Famagusta)
| Nestorian Church | |
|---|---|
| Church of Saint George the Exiler | |
Greek Orthodox | |
| Previous denomination | Church of the East |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Mart Maryam |
| Founded | 1360 |
| Founder(s) | Lakhas brothers |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Used as a cultural center |
The Nestorian Church (
Location
The church lies in the western areas of the old city of Famagusta within the walls. It lies to the southeast of St. Anne's Church, in the area that was inhabited by Syriacs in the Lusignan era.[2] Opposite the church stands the house built for the priest in the British period.[3]
History
.JPG)
.JPG)
Chroniclers
After the
On 19 April 2014, a
Architecture
The church walls are made of ashlar[9] and the church has three naves and three apses. All three naves have entrances to their west.[2] Originally, the church was built with a single nave and a protruding apse; the other two naves and two minor apses were added at a later date. During this transformation, the eastern and central bays were demolished to be replaced by arcades supported by square pillars. The western bay, according to Bacci, was turned into "a kind of narthex or vestibule". The older façade of the building is plainer, with a round window and a plain portal, while the portal of the southern nave, added later, is adorned with an oeil-de-boeuf and marble mouldings.[5]
The church is home to numerous frescoes dated to the 14th and 15th centuries.[2] Unlike Byzantine Orthodox churches, the frescoes in the Nestorian Church are not part of a unified design, which is characteristic of Nestorian Churches. Many of the frescoes were actually painted in different periods by different artists. The apse may have had a unified design, but this is impossible to uncertain given the level of damage to the frescoes.[6]
The church was, as of June 2013, the only one in Famagusta to have a bell, and one of the best preserved ones in its state from the medieval times due to the lack of use over the centuries.[3]
Notes
- ^ a b Constantinou, Dinos (30 December 2013). "Ο Άγιος Γεώργιος ο Εξορινός". Fileleftheros. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Uluca 2006, pp. 128–9
- ^ a b "Latin St. George-Nasturi Kilisesi-Venedik Evi- İkiz Kiliseler". Havadis. 2 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ Bacci 2006, p. 207
- ^ a b Bacci 2006, p. 208
- ^ a b c d e Bacci 2006, p. 210
- ^ "Ada'da 58 yıl sonra ilk ayin" (in Turkish). Al Jazeera. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Ay İkserino Kilisesinde üzen görüntüler" (in Turkish). Diyalog. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Agios Georgios Exorinos". cyprustemples.com. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
Bibliography
- Uluca, Ege (2006), Gazimağusa Kaleiçi'nin Tarihsel Süreç İçindeki Kentsel Gelişimi ve Değişimi (PhD thesis) (in Turkish), Istanbul Technical University, retrieved 4 January 2016
- Bacci, Michele (2006), Syrian, Palaiologan, and Gothic Murals in the"Nestorian" Church of Famagusta, Proceedings of the Christian Archaeological Society, pp. 207–220, retrieved 4 January 2016