Sinai, treasures of the Monastery of Saint Catherine

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Bibliographic Information

Sinai, treasures of the Monastery of Saint Catherine

general editor, Konstantinos A. Manafis

Ekdotike Athenon, c1990

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 383-393) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The Holy Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai has been characterized by scholars as the most celebrated of the world's monasteries, while in the conscience of the Orthodox peoples it was and remains the most revered and longed-for focus of pilgrimage after the Holy Places. In the course of the Monastery's fifteen centuries of uninterrupted life, and despite the great difficulties faced in the midst of alien peoples, not only has St. Catherine's managed to maintain the Orthodox faith intact and provide the Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate with pre-eminent figures of Asceticism, but it also secured special privileges from the Prophet Mohammed and, at a later date, from popes of Rome and leaders of both the East and West. The Monastery thus proved itself a great spiritual hearth of Hellenism, rendering the most distinguished service to monasticism, Orthodoxy, the Church and the Greek people. At the same time, the Monastery acquired international fame as a unique centre of Byzantine icon painting. Here the specialist may study the uninterrupted development of this art from the 6th century up till the present day. Furthermore, the Monastery also developed its own Sinaitic school of icon painting with its own stylistic techniques and 'Sinaitic' subject matter. Examples of this school's work are encountered not only in icons but also in illuminated manuscripts of the calligraphic and chrysographic workshop of the Monastery's world-famous Library. The Monastery of Sinai, moreover, surrounded as it is by the fortification walls built by its founder, the Emperor Justinian, and isolated in the inhospitable desert, was through the centuries a secure haven for invaluable works of art sent from all corners of the Earth as devout offerings of the faithful. "Byzantine, Post-Byzantine and Modern Greek" works representing all types of ecclesiastical art make up the artistic treasures of the Monastery.

Table of Contents

  • Prefaces, 10-11
  • Historical Outline (N. Tomadakis), 12
  • Introduction (K. Manafis), 18
  • Architecture (P. Grossmann), 29
  • Mosaics and Wall Paintings, 61
  • Mosaics (K. Weitzmann), 61
  • Wall Paintings (A. Paliouras), 68
  • Icons, 91
  • Early Icons (from the 6th to the 11th Century) (G. Galavaris), 91
  • Icons from the 12th to the 15th Century (D. Mouriki), 102
  • Post-Byzantine Icons (Cretan School) (N. Drandakis), 124
  • Icons from the Metochion of the Sinai Monastery in Heraklion, Crete (M Borboudakis), 131
  • Church Gold Embroideries (M. Theochans), 231
  • Church Metalwork (Y. Ikonomaki-Papadopoulos), 263
  • Illuminated Manuscripts (G. Galavaris), 311
  • The Library and the Archive, 349
  • The Library (P. Nicolopoulos), 349
  • The Papyrus Collection (N. Livadaras - H. Harrauer), 355
  • The Arabic Manuscripts (Y. Mdmaris), 357
  • The Syriac Manuscripts (S. Brock), 358
  • The Georgian Manuscripts (5. Brock), 359
  • The Slavonic Manuscripts (I. Tarnanidis), 359
  • The Archive (Hieromonk Demetrios Digbassanis), 360
  • Printed Books (A. Nicolopoulou), 362
  • Geographical distribution of the metochia of Saint Catherine's Monastery, 380
  • Glossary, 381
  • Abbreviations, 382
  • Notes-Bibliography, 383
  • List of Illustrations, 394
  • Index, 397. RHODES: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, 7
  • THE KNIGHTS OF RHODES
  • THE ORDER OF ST JOHN IN JERUSALEM, 11
  • THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KNIGHTS ON RHODES, 12
  • COMPOSITION OF THE ORDER AND ADMINISTRATION
  • Social and Ethnic Composition, 14
  • Central Administration
  • Officials, 16
  • Collective Bodies, 20
  • Local Administration, 20
  • Ecclesiastical Organization, 22
  • ECONOMY AND SOCIETY
  • Economic Development, 24
  • The Population: Nationalities and Social Groups, 26
  • Social Welfare, 31
  • INTELLECTUAL LIFE AND CULTURE
  • Learning and Literature, 32
  • Visual Arts, 36
  • Painting, 36
  • Sculpture, 40
  • THE MARTIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE KNIGHTS
  • Conflict with Turkish Expansionism, 44
  • Organization of Defence and Negotiations, 44
  • The First Siege (1480), 46
  • Period of Reconstruction - International Developments, 48
  • The Second Siege and the Departure of the Knights from Rhodes (1522/3), 55
  • THE GRAND MASTER'S PALACE AND THE CITY OF THE KNIGHTS
  • TOURS IN THE CITY OF THE KNIGHTS, 61
  • TOWN-PLAN AND ARCHITECTURE, 65
  • THE GRAND MASTER'S PALACE, 70
  • Tour, 74
  • THE BUILDINGS OF THE COLLACHIUM (Coilachio, Conventus, Chastel)
  • The New Hospital of the Knights (Archaeological Museum), 120
  • Tour, 122
  • The Street of the Knights and the "Inns" of the "Tongues", 126
  • The Naval Dockyard, Arsenal and Buildings in Argyrokastrou Square, 136
  • Various Buildings, 139
  • THE BUILDINGS OF THE CITY (Burgus - Burgum)
  • Public Buildings, 142
  • Houses and Other Buildings, 146
  • Church Architecture, 150
  • THE FORTIFICATIONS OF THE MEDIEVAL CITY
  • The Builders, 154
  • Organization of Defence, Building Techniques and Styles, 156
  • Description of the Fortification, 161
  • BIBLIOGRAPHY, 176.

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