Χρονολόγηση Foundation: 6th - 8th c., restoration: 884/885. Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ. 1. Historical Background and Chronology

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1 Περίληψη : The Church of St. Anne in Trebizond is the oldest church of the city preserved. It is a fine example of the ecclesiastical architecture of Trebizond, as it is a three-aisled, barrel-vaulted basilica of the Middle Byzantine period a type not particularly common in the region. The church probably was restored or even rebuilt around 884/885, according to the inscription above the south entrance of the church. The painting decoration date to the period between the 12th and the 15th century. The church was in use until Χρονολόγηση Foundation: 6th - 8th c., restoration: 884/885 Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Pontos, Trebizond, eastern suburb of the city, about 100 m. to the south of the Church of St Basil 1. Historical Background and Chronology The church of St. Anne is in the eastern suburb of Trebizond and near the Market Place, less than 100 m to the south of the church of St. Basil. The church was dedicated to St. Anne, as it is attested in the building inscription which is built-in above the south entrance of the church. The present Turkish name is Küçük Ayvasil, meaning small St. Basil. In the inscription it is also mentioned that the church was renewed, that is, rebuilt in 884/885, in the years of Basil I ( ). 1 As a result, the present structure dates to the last quarter of the 9th century and it is the oldest church in the city of Trebizond preserved. The church was built on the foundations of an earlier church. The scholars assume that the original church might have been built in the 6th or 7th century or even in the early 8th century. 2 It is not known whether the plan of the original church was followed for the 9th-century structure. The original church had probably been built on the site of an earlier, non-christian temple. Emperor Basil I, who had had several churches restored in Constantinople as well as in the provinces, was probably responsible for the restoration of St. Anne too; according to the inscription, it may well be assumed that the rebuilt of 884/885 was part of the restorations program of the emperor after the end of the Iconoclasm. As indicated by a census of the early 20th century, the church of St. Anne, along with several other churches, belonged to the parish of St. Basil. The church was in use until Later on, the interior was used by the Turks as a house, while today it remains closed. 2. Architecture As regards its architecture, the church is a barrel-vaulted, three-aisled basilica with a clerestory, which is generally considered a middle Byzantine element and is not commonly used with Byzantine barrel-vaulted basilicas. It is a small (8.94 m x 6.59 m) and oblong structure. It has three aisles, each of which ends to a semicircular apse to the east and is covered by a barrel-vault. 3 Of the three indipendent, yet tangent, apses, the middle one is quite bigger than the others. The central aisle of the church is much higher than the side ones, thus forming the clerestory, 4 and it has single-light windows. It is separated from the side aisles with columns supporting arcades. According to G. Millet, who was the first to examine thoroughly the monuments of Trebizond, the church must have had a narthex to the west, although there is no sign of it. 5 The church had two entrances, west and south. The side door in the middle of the south wall was the main entrance to the church and visitors enter by means of a low staircase. In the middle of the west wall there is a window, which at some moment must have replaced the original door existing there. In the region of Trebizond, where the five-sided, central apses were common, the use of a semicircular apse distinguishes St. Anne from the other churches of the region and is considered as indicating an early date, while, together with the clerestory, it forms an unusual example in the architecture of the region. Important information about the chronology and typology of the church is provided by the type of masonry. The uniform structure indicates that the church was completely rebuilt during the restoration of 884/5. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 1/6

2 Earlier architectural members have been reused in the Church of St. Anne. For example, the columns supporting the arcades date to the classical period and stand on very shallow bases. The capitals are Ionic with impost blocks which form a decorative dentil-like pattern. All arches, including those of the windows, are made of brick. This typologically unsusual in Trebizond structure was probably used as a model for the construction of other similar churches in the wider region Usage of the church In the period of the Grand Komnenoi the church was used for burials as well. Mainly ecclesiastical officials were buried inside the church along its walls. 7 It is worth mentioning that a crypt, partly explored in the early 20th century, was found under the church. It includes several compartments arranged for graves. 8 But besides being a funerary crypt, its relation to the main church remains undefined. The crypt is inaccessible and it can only be seen through an opening on the church floor. 4. Inscriptions 4.1. Inciced Inscriptions Two incised inscriptions are preserved in the church. The first is the building one that provides the information about the rebuilt of the church in the 9th century. It is found on a previously used relief slab, dating to the classical period, which is built-in above the south entrance of the church. The relief depicts a warrior on the left and a figure with wings on the right. The inscription is between the two figures and reports that the church of St. Anne was restored when Basil I, Leo VI and Alexander were Emperors, while a certain Alexios was strategos in Trebizond, in the year 6393, that is, the year 884/885 AD. A second dedicative inscription, today kept at the Museum of Hagia Sophia, has also been preserved. The inscription had been initially carved on a slab from the altar, which was later removed to the south door, from where it was finally taken. The text mentions a priest called Gregorios, while the examination of the letters indicates a date before the 10th century Written Inscriptions Seven written inscriptions have also been preserved inside the church, connected with various painted portraits. The three of them refer to deceased officials (both clerical and secular), thus confirming the information about the usage of the church as a cemetery for officials in late 14th and early 15th century. The rest of the inscriptions are invocations, they have a dedicative character and refer to later donations to the church. Five of the above inscriptions offer dates between the late 13th and the first quarter of the 15th century, the last one dating to Decorations 5.1. Painting Decorations The interior of the church was entirely painted and there were successive layers of paintings 10 dating to the period between the 12th and the 15th century. Few traces of the frescoes have been preserved. The portraits of the donators as well as the numerous dedicative written inscriptions are of particular interest. 11 Until about 1929 there were traces of fresco on the exterior walls of the church as well. Although the condition of the preserved frescoes of the church was fairly good until the early decades of the 20th century, few remains of the wall paintings could be seen by the late 1950s, according to S. Balance. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 2/6

3 5.2. Reliefs In the south door of the church, above the slab with the building inscription, there are four smaller relief slabs with various decorative motifs, such as curlicue crosses and rosettes. According to Talbot-Rice, these slabs indicate Armenian influences and can be dated to the 13th-14th century, while they were not built-in until after the visit of Millet in According to Ballance, they are similar to some reliefs of the monastery at Kaymaklı On the inscription, see Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, vol. I II (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 183, pp , p. 246, tab. 166a. See also Millet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), pp ; Μillet, G., Mission a Trebizonde en Etude detaillee de quelques eglises, in Millet, G. Talbot Rice, D., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond (London 1936), p. 23, note 1. See also: Chrysanthos of Trebizond, Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος, ΑΠ 4 5 (1933), p. 376; Ballance, S., The Byzantine Churches of Trebizond, Anatolian Studies X (1960), pp. 142, 145; Janssens, E., Trebizonde en Colchide (Travaux de la Faculte de Philosophie et Lettres XL, Bruxelles 1969), p. 225; Janin, R., Les eglises et les monasteres des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galesios, Trebizonde, Athenes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p About a possible construction of the original church in the 6 th or 7 th century, see Millet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), p. 444; Chrysanthos of Trebizond, Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος, ΑΠ 4 5 (1933), p. 376; Talbot Rice, D., The Messel Expedition, A Survey of the Monuments, in Millet G. Talbot Rice, D., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond (London 1936), p. 107; Εγκυκλοπαίδεια του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού. Ιστορία Λαογραφία Πολιτισμός Ε, p About the assumption that the original church may have dated from the early 8 th century, see Talbot Rice, D., Religious Buildings of Trebizond, Byzantion V ( ), p. 57; Janin, R., Les eglises et les monasteres des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galesios, Trebizonde, Athenes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p Μillet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), p. 443, pic. 17;; Millet, G., Mission a Trebizonde en Etude detaillee de quelques eglises, in Millet, G. Talbot Rice, D., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond (London 1936), pp , pic. 1; Talbot Rice, D., Religious Buildings of Trebizond, Byzantion V ( ), p. 57; Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, vol. I II (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 219, tab Μillet, G., Les monastères et les églises de Trébizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 19 (1895), p. 443; Talbot Rice, D., Religious Buildings of Trebizond, Byzantion V ( ), p. 57; Janin, R., Les églises et les monastères des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galésios, Trébizonde, Athènes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p. 257; Ballance, S., The Byzantine Churches of Trebizond, Anatolian Studies X (1960), p. 154; Mango, C., Byzantine Architecture (Venise 1993), p See Μillet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), pp , pic ; Μηλιόπουλος, Ι., Το Ναΐδιον της Αγίας Άννης, Οι Κομνηνοί 1, 17 (1916), p. 311; Millet, G., Mission a Trebizonde en Etude detaillee de quelques eglises, in Millet, G. Talbot Rice, D., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond (London 1936), p. 24, note 1; Chrysanthos of Trebizond, Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος, Αρχείον Πόντου 4 5 (1933), p Janin, R., Les eglises et les monasteres des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galesios, Trebizonde, Athenes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p For example, according to Millet, the church transformed into a mosque, known as Nakip Camii, is quite similar to the architectural type of St. Anne, (Μillet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), p. 445, pic. 18; Janin, R., Les eglises et les monasteres des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galesios, Trebizonde, Athenes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p. 259, with relevant bibliography). However, according to Bryer and Winfield, there are elements that differentiate the two churches, while they mention other churches possibly influenced by the archtectural plan of St. Anne, see Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos I (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p See also Mango, C., Byzantine Architecture (Venise 1993), pp Millet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, BCH 19 (1895), p. 443; Μηλιόπουλος, Ι., Το Ναΐδιον της Αγίας Άννης, Οι Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 3/6

4 Κομνηνοί 1, 17 (1916), pp ; Talbot Rice, D., Religious Buildings of Trebizond, Byzantion V ( ), p Μηλιόπουλος, Ι., Το Ναΐδιον της Αγίας Άννης, Οι Κομνηνοί 1, 17 (1916), pp ; Janin, R., Les églises et les monastères des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galésios, Trébizonde, Athènes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p About the inscription, see Millet, G., Les monastères et les églises de Trébizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 19 (1895), p. 437, while about chronology, see Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos I (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p Μillet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), p. 437; Millet, G., Mission a Trebizonde en Etude detaillee de quelques eglises, in Millet, G. Talbot Rice, D., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond (London 1936), pp ; Chrysanthos of Trebizond, Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος, Αρχείον Πόντου 4 5 (1933), p. 377; Ξυγγόπουλος, Α., G. Millet D. Talbot Rice, Byzantine Painting at Trebizond, London George Allen and Unwin Ltd. (Courtauld Institute publication on Near Eastern Art, edited by W.G. Constable and D. Talbot Rice, I), 182 σελίδες μετά 10 σχεδίων [εν τω κειμένω και 57 φωτοτυπικών πινάκων εν τέλει [Βιβλιοκρισία], ΕΕΒΣ 12 (1936), p. 463; Janin, R., Les eglises et les monasteres des grands centres byzantins (Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galesios, Trebizonde, Athenes, Thessalonique) (Paris 1975), p About a brief presentation of these inscriptions, most of which date from the 14 th and 15 th century, see Millet, G., Les monasteres et les eglises de Trebizonde, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 19 (1895), pp , pic. 11 pic. 14, and Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos I (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), pp , with detailed bibliogrphy. 12. Talbot Rice, D., Religious Buildings of Trebizond, Byzantion V ( ), p. 58; Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, vol. I II (Dumbarton Oaks Studies XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 219, tab. 166a. 13. Ballance, S., The Byzantine Churches of Trebizond, Anatolian Studies X (1960), p Βιβλιογραφία : Janin R., Les églises et les monastères des Grands Centres Byzantins. Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galésios, Trébizonde, Athènes, Thessalonique, Paris 1975 Bryer A.A.M., Winfield D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, 1 (With Maps and Plans by R. Anderson and Drawings by J. Winfield), Washington D.C. 1985, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 20 Bryer A.A.M., Winfield D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, 2 (With Maps and Plans by R. Anderson and Drawings by J. Winfield), Washington D.C. 1985, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 20 Παπαμιχαλόπουλος Κ.Ν., Περιήγησις εις τον Πόντον, Αθήνα 1903 Χρύσανθος Φιλιππίδης, μητροπολίτης Τραπεζούντος, "Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος", Αρχείον Πόντου, 4/5, 1933, Λαμπάκης Σ., Σαββίδης Α., Γενική Βιβλιογραφία περί του βυζαντινού Πόντου και του κράτους των Κομνηνών της Τραπεζούντας, Αθήνα 1992 Janssens E., Trébizonde en Colchide, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles 1969, Travaux de la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres XL Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 4/6

5 Miller W., Trebizond. The Last Greek Empire of the Byzantine Era, , London 1926 Rice D.T., Millet G., Byzantine Painting at Trebizond, London 1936 Ballance S., "The Byzantine Churches of Trebizond", Anatolian Studies, 10, 1960, Millet G., "Les monastères et les églises de Trébizonde", Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique, 19, 1895, Rice D.T., "Notice on some religious buildings in the city and vilayet of Trebizond", Byzantion, 5, 1929/1930, Winfield D., Wainwright J., "Some Byzantine Churches from the Pontus", Αnatolian Studies, 12, 1962, Bryer, A.A.M. (ed.), The Empire of Trebizond and the Pontos, London 1980, Variorum Reprints Collected Studies Ξυγγόπουλος Α., "G. Millet D. Talbot-Rice, Byzantine Painting at Trebizond, London George Allen and Unwin Ltd. (Courtauld Institute publication on Near Eastern Art, edited by W.G. Constable and D. Talbot Rice, I). 182 σελίδες μετά 10 σχεδίων εν τω κειμένω και 57 φωτοτυπικών πινάκων εν τέλει [Βιβλιοκρισία]", Eπετηρίς της Εταιρείας Βυζαντινών Σπουδών, 12, 1936, Δικτυογραφία : Trebizond Ο ναός της Αγίας Άννας Γλωσσάριo : apse An arched srtucture or a semi circular end of a wall. In byzantine architecture it means the semicircular, usually barrel vaulted, niche at the east end of a basilica. The side aisles of a basilica may also end in an apse, but it is always in the central apse where the altar is placed. It was separated from the main church by a barrier, the templon, or the iconostasis. Its ground plan on the external side could be semicircular, rectangular or polygonal. clerestory Architectural term denoting the upper level of the nave of a church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. narthex A portico or a rectangular entrance-hall, parallel with the west end of an early Christian basilica or church. three-aisled basilica An oblong type of church internally divided into three aisles: the middle and the two side aisles. The middle aisle is often lighted by an elevated clerestory. In the Early Byzantine years this type of church had huge dimensions. vault A semi-cylindrical roof. Παραθέματα The text of the building inscription of St Anne of Trebizond Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 5/6

6 Ἀνενεόθι ὁ ναòς τ[ῆς ἁγίας] / Ἀν[νη]ς ἐπì Βασιλεί[ου] Λέ[οντος καì Ἀλε]/ξάνδρου, στρατηγ[οῦ]ντος Ἀλε/ξίου κ(καì) (πρωτο)σπαθ[αρίου] τοῦ ἀνα[νεώ]σαντος τòν ναὼν /ἔτ(ους) ςτογ. Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos (Dumbarton Oaks Studies 20, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 218, with earlier bibliography. The text of the inscription on the altar stone + Ὑπὲρ εὐχῆς καὶ σοτηρίας καὶ ἀφέσεος ἁμαρτιõν τοῦ (δούλου τοῦ) Θ(εο)ῦ Γριγόρι πρεσβυτέρου ἁμαρτολο(ύ). Ἀμὴν Millet, G., ʹLes Monastères et les Églises de Trébizondeʹ, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 19 (1895), p Δημιουργήθηκε στις 3/7/2017 Σελίδα 6/6