Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Turkey, Demre resort
Rating: 9,0/10 (183 votes)  The Church of St. Nicholas was built immediately after the death of the Miracle Worker, who was preaching in the city at that time. Over the centuries, the church has been repeatedly destroyed, especially severe destruction occurred in 1034. Later, Emperor Constantine the Ninth ordered to build a fortress wall around the church, transforming it into a monastery complex. In 1087, Italian merchants were able to seize the relics of the saint and transported them to Bari, where the Wonderworker was declared the patron saint of the city. In 1863, the monastery was bought by Alexander II, after which restoration work began in the building, but after a while they were suspended. After the excavations in 1963, mosaics made of colored marble, as well as wall paintings. Today the temple is a structure made in the shape of a cross, with a large hall covered in the middle with a dome and two small rooms on the sides. At the entrance to the church there is a courtyard and a narthex. The walls of the church are decorated with frescoes made in the 11-12 centuries. The floor is inlaid with mosaics with geometric patterns. In the semicircular part of the nave, one can observe a syntronon with seats for priests, a lower gallery and a bishop's pulpit. The central nave is separated from the side chapels by vaulted galleries. Initially, the roof of the church was crowned with a dome, which was replaced by a vault during restoration work. The sarcophagus, which previously contained the relics of the saint, is located in the south nave of the church, behind a destroyed partition made of marble. between the two columns. According to the testimony of scientists, the saint was buried here. The sarcophagus was made of white marble, decorated with floral patterns and various relief designs.        We also recommend reading Ruins of the city of Mir in Turkey, Demre resort Topic: Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Turkey, Demre resort. |
