What I can see

This Byzantine church was built on the site of an older Christian church that only a part of the main church and its eastern side survive. The dome and most of the church were built later and in successive phases, in several cases even unsuccessfully imitating the original elements of the original church, such as the drum on the west side that imitates the north and south ones, but there are also other serious failures, such as the disproportionate internal columns. The floor is raised by about half a metre from that of the original church. The type of church was initially classified as a composite four-columned cruciform, while in reality it was a variation of this type. Normally, it is classified as a domed four-columned cruciform inscribed with a narthex. The decoration of the earlier church indicates that it is a building from the early years of Byzantine architecture (e.g. limited decoration, extensive use of plain brick). The subsequent mixed use of early and late architectural elements makes it difficult to date the building, but it is probably of the 11th century. The additions from the Byzantine era to the modern era have altered the monument to an excessive degree, which is very visible both in terms of colour and proportions, such as the extremely disproportionate height of the dome and the disproportionate volumes added during the 20th century. At a distance of about 25 metres, there are Roman columns of a stoa, which are probably remains of the atrium of the early Christian basilica or a balaneion (bath area).

What I can't see

The oldest church was dedicated to Saints Theodore. It was dedicated to Saint Catherine after it became a dependency of the Mount Sinai Monastery (1767) and on this occasion, the “Sinaite Fountain” was also built in the area. This area was also called Cundito, deriving from the Florentine conquerors of the 15th century, who built a type of aqueduct (aquedotto) on the remains of ancient water pipes. According to another approach, this name is a corruption of the French “conduite d’ eau” (water pipe).

Info

• Address: Cherefontos, Lyssikratous, Galanou and Goura St.

Bibliography