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Modern Description: The church, one of the oldest in Athens, is dedicated to Panagia Pantanassa. It gives its name to Monastiraki (little monastery) Square. The church is referred to as Big Monastery in a post Byzantine sigillium of 1678, which reports that during the period of Frankish rule it was annexed as a men’s monastery to Kaisariani Monastery. From 1831, the church was no longer called Big Monastery but Mikromonastiro (Small Monastery) or Monastiraki. The monastery cells used to be in today’s Square, while the whole area was full of small shops, many of which can still be found in the neighboring Pandrosos Street. The church is a barrel-vaulted basilica, a type characteristic of the transition from the early Christian basilica to the cross-in-square church. According to Orlandos, the church is dated to the 10th century. However, based on its masonry Sotiriou has dated it to the 7th – 8th century, while Wulff to the 8th – 9th century like other barrel-vaulted basilicas of Athens. Xyngopoulos has dated the church to the 10th century, whereas Millet to the 11th – 12th century based on its capitals. The church has undergone many modifications. Characteristic is the bell-tower, which is a more recent construction and annex. The wall paintings are more recent. Byzantine Attica
[Judith Binder: Panagia Pantanassa at Monastiraki (Plan 1 alpha—5, no. 96): Biris, K. 1966, 44-45 no. 103; EMME II, 1929, 65, figs. 51-53]
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Pantanassa,_Athens
Wikidata ID: Q7131645
Trismegistos Geo: 364

Info: Byzantine Monuments of Attica

From the web site Byzantine Monuments of Attica, a project of the Greek National Research Foundation, Institute of Byzantine Studies (NRF/IBS), under the supervision of NRF/IBS director Kriton Chrysochoides, researcher Chryssa Kontogeorgopoulou, with contributions from the archaeologists of the former 1st Ephorate Of Byzantine Antiquities, the University of Athens, the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens, and the BSA; texts translated by Olga Lavant.

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