Church of St Athanasius of Mouzaki

Church of St Athanasius of Mouzaki in 2010.

St Athanasius of Mouzaki (Greek: Άγιος Αθανάσιος του Μουζάκη) is a Greek Orthodox church located in Kastoria, Greece.^[1][2] It was built in 1386–87 by the house of Muzaka, a noble Albanian family that controlled the city between 1380-1385, and dedicated to St. Athanasius^[1][2] It is considered one of the most important monuments of 14th century Kastoria and is the last church built in Kastoria before its annexation by the Ottoman Empire.^[2]

Decorations

The church is decorated with scenes of saints dressed in Byzantine clothing, a typical feature of Byzantine iconography. An unusual feature of the church is that despite the fact that St Alexander is traditionally not included among the ranks of military saints,^[3] the church of St Athanasius of Mouzaki is decorated with a portrait of St Alexander in military clothing. Another feature, atypical in Byzantine iconography, is the depiction of Virgin Mary as a queen.^[4]

Legacy

The church influenced greatly the artistic production of Kastoria and the region of Macedonia in the late 14th and early 15th century.^{[5][clarification needed]}

Sources

1. ^ ^{a b} Facaros, Dana; Theodorou, Linda (2003). Greece. New Holland Publishers. p. 563. ISBN 1860118984. http://books.google.com/books?id=UlBjpoeo9-gC&pg=PA563&dq=Ag+Athanasios+Albanians&hl=en&ei=CIM7TJKoN-jesAa197nvBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Ag%20Athanasios%20Albanians&f=false. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "St Athanasius of Mouzakis" (in Greek). Kastoria City. http://www.kastoriacity.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=135&Itemid=405&limit=1&limitstart=4. Retrieved 12 July 2010. 
3. ^ Walter, Christopher (2003). The warrior saints in Byzantine art and tradition. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. p. 245. ISBN 184014694X. http://books.google.com/books?id=BRju9VQdW3QC&pg=RA1-PA245&dq=Alexander++Athanasius+Kastoria&hl=en&ei=TIU7TKDYJsqnsQabmrDvBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Alexander%20%20Athanasius%20Kastoria&f=false. 
4. ^ Vassilaki, Maria (2000). Mother of God: representations of the Virgin in Byzantine art. Skira. p. 129. ISBN 8881187388. http://books.google.com/books?ei=Sng8TNTiGNulsQbl1OTCDg&ct=result&hl=en&id=-D_rAAAAMAAJ&dq=the+virgin+is+rendered+as+a&q=Athanasios+Virgin+queen#search_anchor. 
5. ^ Myrtalē Acheimastou-Potamianou, ed (1988). Holy image, holy space: icons and frescoes from Greece. Greek Ministry of Culture. p. 194. http://books.google.com/books?id=bAzqAAAAMAAJ&q=Athanasios+of+Mouzaki&dq=Athanasios+of+Mouzaki&hl=en&ei=HH88TPneMd3fsAbx7_DQAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBg.