"The Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Kapnikarea) as a Monument"

The Greek spirit of measure and harmony characterizes the Church of Kapnikarea. It harmoniously adapts to human scale. Internally, it exudes a serene atmosphere, uplifting the faithful and bringing them closer to the Divine Presence in a balanced way.

Archaeologist Vasiliki Kalesiopoulou presents a scholarly article highlighting the value and significance of this Holy Church as a cultural monument. The historical overview takes us back a millennium, exploring the past. It delves into the architecture and distinctive features of the Church, a true gem for the city of Athens.

The Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary (Kapnikarea)

The Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary of Kapnikarea is located in the historic center of Athens, on the commercial Ermou Street. It dates back to the second half of the 11th century, during the Middle Byzantine period, and is one of the most significant Byzantine churches in Athens. The British School of Archaeology at Athens has played a crucial role in the challenging restoration and historical study of Athens' Byzantine churches.

The present form of the city is the result of two main historical periods: the ancient-Roman and the modern, over the past two centuries. The Byzantine and Ottoman periods are represented by only a few buildings, with the Byzantine era primarily represented by churches. [1] Before analyzing the monument, it is appropriate to briefly consider the historical context and the city of Athens at the time of the church's construction.

From the 9th century to 1204, the Byzantine Empire was at the height of its power. During the reigns of the Macedonian and Komnenian dynasties, Byzantine classicism reached its ideal form. After 1057 and the military uprising, Isaac I Komnenos, an aristocrat from Asia Minor, ascended the throne. Over the next twenty-four years, emperors from the military or civil aristocracy of Byzantium ruled the empire. In 1054, the definitive Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches occurred.

Meanwhile, the Patriarchates of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria were under Arab rule, leaving the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the spiritual and ecclesiastical center. During this time, Rome and Baghdad were in decline as urban centers, whereas Constantinople remained the most powerful city, exerting significant influence on the known world. [2]

In contrast, Athens during the construction of Kapnikarea was a Byzantine town, still alive with memories of its ancient classical splendor and glorious past in the minds of Byzantines. Historians find it remarkable that so many magnificent Byzantine churches were erected in such a small medieval city as Athens. However, it should be noted that there was an unwritten tradition that three Byzantine empresses hailed from Athens: Athenais-Eudokia, Irene of Athens, and Theophano. Undoubtedly, during the construction of Kapnikarea, the imperial authority of Constantinople showed some interest in the city of Athens.

The Name of the Church

There are different interpretations regarding the naming of the church as "Kapnikarea." It has also been referred to as "Kamoucharea" in older accounts; travelers Spon and Wheeler in the last quarter of the 17th century mentioned it with this title. "Kamouchas" was the term for a precious silk fabric, which might have been used to cover the icon of the Virgin Mary inside the church. It is also possible that workshops producing such fabric existed in the area at the time of the church's construction.

However, the name "Kapnikarea" prevailed. According to one interpretation, after the burning of Athens by the Turks in 1689, the icon of the Virgin Mary was found smoky but intact. Hence, the church might have been named after the words "kapnos" (smoke) and "kara" (head). During the Ottoman period, it was also known as the "Church of the Princess." Tradition holds that the church was built on the site of an earlier one, possibly constructed by one of the two Athenian empresses, Irene or Eudokia. [3]

The most accepted interpretation is that the name "Kapnikarea" derives from the founder of the church, whose profession gave the church its name. The founder, likely a "Kapnikaris," was a tax collector for a poll tax known as the "kapnikon." This tax, originally abolished by Empress Irene of Athens (797–802) for tenants of church estates and charitable institutions, was reinstated by Emperor Nikephoros I Logothetes along with ten other taxes, collectively called "kakoses."

The "kapnikon" tax applied to residential buildings using hearths that emitted smoke. The greater the number of hearths in a household, the higher the tax. This tax may have given rise to the phrase "coming from a great hearth" to describe someone of prominence.

Architecture of the Church

The church in its current form comprises a complex of three structural units: the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, the chapel of St. Barbara to the north, and the exonarthex with its propylaea to the west. These buildings were constructed at different periods. The original structure was built on the ruins of an ancient temple, a common practice in early Christianity to establish the faith and later in Byzantium, as the site was already a popular religious sanctuary.

The ancient temple was dedicated to a female deity, possibly Demeter or Athena. Some comparable monuments in Athens include the Church of St. Catherine in Plaka, St. John near the Metochi of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos, also known as St. Eleftherios. [4]

The Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary is architecturally a complex tetraconch, cross-in-square structure with a dome. This architectural type signifies that the cross formed at the roof of the church is inscribed within a square.

Exterior View of the Church

The masonry of the church is formed from blocks, some of which originate from early Christian buildings, a practice widely employed during the Byzantine era. This is evidenced by ancient or early Christian stone and marble materials incorporated into Byzantine churches. The blocks in the Kapnikarea Church are arranged to form crosses, a characteristic of churches built in the early 11th and 12th centuries. Additionally, massive prismatic stones were used at the corners and lower parts of the walls, giving the church a monumental appearance while also creating an "impression of stability."

In the upper sections, the masonry follows the "cloisonné" system, which prevailed in Greek ecclesiastical architecture from the second half of the 10th century. This system uses carved porous stones shaped into rectangular forms, with thin bricks placed in the joints between them. In Athens, the type of porous stone was often fossilized shell limestone. In monuments from the late 10th and early 11th centuries, intricate ceramic patterns (known as pseudo-kufic designs) were often used in vertical joints. However, in Kapnikarea, these designs are largely degraded, with bricks dominating the decorative scheme, a feature typical of mid-11th century structures. This characteristic has helped date the monument to just after the mid-11th century.

Limited use of pseudo-kufic designs is observed in Kapnikarea. These decorative ceramic patterns, inspired by early Arabic script and named after Kufah in Mesopotamia, began appearing in Greek architecture in the second half of the 10th century with significant variation but gradually declined in use. Only five pseudo-kufic decorations are present in Kapnikarea's vertical joints, suggesting the monument was constructed after the Church of the Holy Apostles in the Ancient Agora, which employs more extensive pseudo-kufic patterns and is dated around 1000, or the now-destroyed Church of Prophet Elias at Staropazaro. An earlier example can be seen in the Church of St. Theodore in Klafthmonos Square, where pseudo-kufic decorations are confined to the window lobes.

Similarly limited in southern Greek ecclesiastical architecture is the use of dentil bands, which also declined in prominence along with kufic motifs. In the early 11th century, these bands were more prominent; however, in Kapnikarea, a single band encircles the windows at the height of the sill and surrounds the arches of the window lobes. Dentil cornices, known since early Christian times, are found in all middle Byzantine churches and disappear toward the end of the 11th century, replaced by beveled stone in the following century.

The church's roof features tiered domes, with all roof endings accented by dentil cornices at their lower edges. At the center stands the elegant Athenian dome. The narthex has a tripartite roof, with the lateral sections having a single-pitched roof and the central section a double-pitched roof.

On the eastern side, the sanctuary externally forms three apses. The central apse is significantly taller, reaching nearly the pediment of the eastern arm of the cross. The apses are polygonal, consisting of three sides, and at the height of the window sills, there are stone ornaments with beveled cross-sections influenced by early Christian tradition.

The central apse features a triple-lobed window, while the apses of the side chambers have double-lobed windows. The lobes are separated by slender columns with bases and capitals. The relief patterns on the capitals, adorned with heart-shaped vegetal motifs, are reminiscent of the templon at Hosios Loukas. In general, it can be said that most of the church's sculptures are reused.

The ornament encircling the eastern exterior side of the sanctuary is influenced by the Church of the Savior in Lykodemos, where it is found earlier. This specific monument was influenced by the Katholikon of Hosios Loukas Monastery. The windows, from the lobes to their sides, are framed by a dentil band extending to the lateral sides of the apses.

The 11th century marks the classical period of Greek architecture. A new ceramic Greek decorative motif, the stepped ornament, emerges during this era. In Kapnikarea, this motif appears as a band crowning the southern entrance and a window in the prothesis apse.

Apart from the western entrance, the church also had another one on the southern side, now sealed. This entrance was likely walled up after 1836 since it is shown open in a watercolor painting from that year by an unknown artist, currently housed in the Museum of the City of Athens. Only the lower parts of the marble doorway, featuring simple wave-like decorations, remain in situ. The door was surmounted by a horseshoe-shaped arch, an architectural motif indicative of Arab influence, widely used in middle Byzantine architecture.

A close examination of Kapnikarea's decorative elements, particularly the dentil bands and kufic ceramics, leads to the conclusion that the monument dates slightly after 1050. It is later than the Church of the Savior in Lykodemos but predates the Church of St. Catherine in Plaka and the Church of St. Nicholas Ragavas or St. John the Theologian, also in Plaka. The use of pseudo-kufic decorations is observed to decline as the 11th century progresses.

The Dome – Exterior Characteristics 

The dome of the Kapnikarea Church is of the Athenian type, featuring an octagonal drum with "marble half-octagonal-section columns at its edges." [16] Rainwater gathers at eight points, where slender downspouts in the form of animals are located. Specifically, these depict lion heads with accentuated eyes and inset pupils. Only four of these spouts remain intact today. Each side of the octagonal drum contains a single-lobed window with a brick frame forming the arch. Compared to the dome of the Church of St. Theodore in Klafthmonos Square, the Kapnikarea's dome is simpler, with double-lobed windows replaced by single-lobed ones, and the downspouts are more delicate. The lion heads are not naturalistically rendered but show a stylized degeneration. It is possible that the founder of the Kapnikarea lacked the financial means of the official who built the Church of St. Theodore in Klafthmonos Square.

Harmony and Proportionality

The monument conveys a sense of proportion and harmony akin to ancient Greek structures. Externally, it exudes a lightness and elegance, achieved through the tiered arrangement of the domes and the main dome, interspersed with straight lines and dominated by curves.

Interior Design

The interior of the church is noteworthy for the configuration of the sanctuary, which includes semicircular apses and passages leading to the side chambers. This design gives the sanctuary a tripartite structure and facilitates movement within it. Similar layouts can be observed in the so-called Russian Church (the Sotira Lykodimou monument), the Katholikon of Hosios Loukas in Boeotia (early 11th century), the monastery of Dafni, and other 11th-century churches. This arrangement revives features from Early Christian basilicas, showcasing the influence of Constantinopolitan architecture.

Within the main church, pilasters correspond to the four columns supporting the dome. These strengthen the points where the roof's dome transfers its weight via arches, reflecting the architectural traditions of Constantinople. However, external buttresses, such as those found in the Monastery of Petraki in Athens, are absent in the Kapnikarea. The same omission is observed in the Church of St. Catherine in Plaka, while they are prominently visible in the Church of Hosios Loukas.

The paleochristian tradition is evident in the slender stone decorative bands. Another significant decorative feature is the beveled stone moldings with sculpted ornamentation, which encircle the dome's base, the springing of the apse's semidome, and the pilasters' terminations.

Iconostasis

The current marble iconostasis, crafted in 1961–1962, imitates a Middle Byzantine one that previously adorned the church, replacing a tall wooden iconostasis from 1938. The only surviving piece of the Middle Byzantine iconostasis is a marble parapet panel featuring a cross adorned with foliage and rosettes, now housed in the Byzantine Museum of Athens. [19]

Interior Characteristics of the Dome

Internally, the dome is supported by four fluted columns topped with Early Christian capitals, possibly dating to the 5th century. Three of these capitals are Corinthian, while the fourth is of a Corinthianizing type, featuring bent reed leaves above and acanthus leaves below. [20]

Murals and Decorations

Propylaeum

The propylaeum features a dentil cornice and pediments on three sides. This striking architectural structure includes decorative elements characteristic of its time.

The Narthex

A long, narrow open portico was added to the west side, possibly in the early 12th century. It includes double-lobed or single-lobed openings with unfluted columns, crowned with Early Christian impost blocks from the 5th century.

Chapel of St. Barbara

Located on the northern side, the chapel is a single-roomed domed structure with relatively less refined masonry. Likely built during Ottoman rule or shortly after liberation, it dates before 1836. Fragments of Byzantine brickwork remain visible, suggesting earlier phases of construction.

The Church in Modern Times

The Kapnikarea Church narrowly escaped demolition in 1834 due to urban planning by architect Leo von Klenze but was preserved through the intervention of King Ludwig of Bavaria. Similarly, in 1863, it was saved by parishioners' protests. Today, the church is under the jurisdiction of the University of Athens, as established by a 1931 law. It continues to require regular maintenance and preservation.

The Greek spirit of moderation and harmony characterizes the Church of Kapnikarea. The building aligns harmoniously with the human scale. Internally, it exudes a serene atmosphere, uplifting the faithful and allowing them to approach the Divine Presence harmoniously, without evoking an overwhelming sense of awe for God among worshippers.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• E. Drakopoulou, 2009, [1] pp. 146
• Ch. Bouras, L. Boura, 2002, [2] pp. 49–50
• Ch. Bouras, 2010, [3], [5] pp. 198, 200–201
• Ministry of Culture, 2012 [4]
• N. Gkioles, 2006, [6–9–11–18–20–22–26–28] pp. 521, 527, 130, 522, 519, 534
• N. Gkioles, 1992 [19] pp. 530
• Ibid., [7–12–13–14–15–16–27–29–30] pp. 519–544, 528, 126, 530, 531
• P. Vokotopoulos, 1969, [8], [10] pp. 164
• M. Sotiriou, [17] pp. 103, fig. 1
• K. Kavarnou, 1985 [21], p. 63
• A. Alivizatos, 1937–1938, [23–24–25] pp. 180, 169, 182

About the Author
Vasiliki Kalesiopoulou is an expert archaeologist with postgraduate studies in Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology. She is a collaborator on the approved educational program The Byzantine Monuments of Athens and one of the coordinators for the educational activities of our association.