Συντάκτης : Δημήτρης Λιάρος. ‘
Όλες οι φωτογραφίες είναι από το προσωπικό αρχείο του Κου Λιάρου.
Επιμέλεια άρθρου : Μίνα Μέρμηγκα
Κτίστηκε στα χρόνια του καίσαρα Γαλερίου, γύρω στα 306 μ.Χ., ως ναός του Δία ή του Κάβειρου ή κατ΄ άλλους ως Μαυσωλείο του ιδίου. Στον άξονά της κατέληγε πομπική οδός που συνέδεε τη θριαμβική αψίδα του Γαλερίου με το ανακτορικό συγκρότημα, που έχει ανασκαφεί νοτίως της Εγνατίας οδού.
Πηγή:Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού
http://odysseus.culture.gr
Μπορείτε να δείτε την αρχαιολογική ταινία “ΡΟΤΟΝΤΑ”, παραγωγής Εφορείας Αρχαιοτήτων Πόλης Θεσσαλονίκης, 2016, με την ιστορία του μνημείου και την ανάλυση της παράστασης των ψηφιδωτών
Στο δεύτερο σύνδεσμο μπορείτε να κάνετε μια 3D περιήγηση στη Ροτόντα!!
The oldest monument in Thessaloniki, the Rotunda (also known as Agios Georgios) is a massive round building that was first a Roman mausoleum, then a Christian church, then a mosque. Its interior is decorated with Early Christian mosaics; outside is the city’s only surviving minaret.
The Rotunda was built by the Roman emperor Galerius (305-11) as part of a large palace complex in Thessaloniki. It was probably intended to be his mausoleum, but it was never used as such. The Rotunda of Galerius was converted into a Christian church in the late 4th century or mid-5th century. The date of conversion to a church has been difficult to determine with any certainty. There is no written documentation about the event, so dating has to be based on analysis of the style of the mosaics and the historical situation of Thessaloniki in these early centuries.
Thessaloniki flourished, and developed at a fast pace into the mid-6th century.
Many grand churches were built in this period (including Panagia Acheiropoietos, St. Demetrios and Hosios David), and so it seems a logical period for the Rotunda transformation and decoration as well.The Ottoman Turks ruled Thessaloniki from 1430, and in 1591, Agios Georgios was converted into a mosque. On the Islamic calendar it was the year 999, when the end of the world was expected by some. Fortunately, the mosaics that survived until then were not harmed further by this conversion; they were simply painted over.The Rotunda is an austere structure built entirely of brick on a circle-within-a-circle plan with 20-foot-thick walls. To transform it into a church, Thessaloniki’s Christians converted the southeast niche into an arch, added a sanctuary, moved the main entrance from the southwest to the northwest side, added a narthex, and built another ambulatory around the outside (which has not survived). The slender, freestanding Turkish minaret is the only one to survive in Thessaloniki.The dome mosaic is now lost entirely, but its subject is known from the fortunate survival of its underdrawing. It depicted Christ, dressed in imperial purple and seated or standing on a shield. He held a cross in his left hand and raised his right hand upwards. This is a notable example of the influence of imperial elements in Early Christian art – the Roman army would often proclaim an emperor by elevating him on a shield.
Golden mosaics with medallions of birds and fruit (restored 1885) decorate the southeast recess, and the apse vault bears a faded frescoof the Ascension from the late 9th century.
In this article you can see the photos from the author's archive of this article and in the following link you can see a 3D tour from the tax office of antiquities of Thessaloniki Follow us on Facebook
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