Church of Prophet Elijah (Thessaloniki)

Church of Prophet Elijah
UNESCO World Heritage Site
	View of the church
Location	Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece
Part of	Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)
Reference	456-014
Inscription	1988 (12th Session)
Area	0.198 ha (0.49 acres)
Coordinates	40°38′27″N 22°56′54″E / 40.64083°N 22.94833°E / 40.64083; 22.94833
	Location of Church of Prophet Elijah in Greece

The Church of Prophet Elijah (Greek: Ναός Προφήτη Ηλία, Naós Profíti Ilía) is a 14th-century church in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[1]

The church is located in the upper quarter of the old city, and dates to the Palaiologan period, but its original dedication is unknown. In Ottoman times, it was known as the Saraylı Mosque (Palace Mosque or Court Mosque), and through a misinterpretation of this name came about its modern dedication to the Prophet Elijah. It has been traditionally identified as the katholikon of the Nea Moni monastery, built ca. 1360–1370 on the site of a former palace destroyed in 1342 by the Zealot uprising.^[2] Modern research, however, has cast doubt on this, since the Nea Moni continued to operate well into the Ottoman period, while the church of Prophet Elijah was converted into a mosque by Badrah Mustafa Pasha immediately after the city's capture in 1430. On the basis of its internal decoration, it has been suggested that the church was the katholikon of the important Akapniou Monastery.^[3]

Its architectural style, a variant of cross-in-square church known as the "Athonite type", is unique in the city, and was always reserved for katholika of monasteries. The careful masonry, of alternating courses of bricks and white ashlar, is also unusual for Thessaloniki and its region; it is copied from Constantinopolitan architecture.^[4] Several of its architectural features have also been interpreted as set to create an ambient atmosphere directly connected with the type of worship, through the way natural light is distributed.^[5] Fragments of the church's original decoration survive in the form of wall paintings, fine examples of late Palaiologan art, which influenced later paintings in Serbia.^[6]

References

^ "Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 111–112
^ Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 112–113
^ Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 113–114
^ "Iliadis (2018), The church of Elijah the Prophet in Thessaloniki". Archaeology Wiki. 2018-01-29. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
^ Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 115–116

Sources

Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou, E.; Tourta, A. (1997), Wandering in Byzantine Thessaloniki, Kapon Editions, ISBN 960-7254-47-3
Iliadis, I. E. (2018), The church of Elijah the Prophet in Thessaloniki; Geometry and Natural Light, Archaeology & Arts (archaeology.wiki)

External links

Media related to Church of Prophet Elias of the City, Thessaloniki at Wikimedia Commons

[unesco-1] "Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

[2] Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 111–112

[3] Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 112–113

[4] Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 113–114

[5] "Iliadis (2018), The church of Elijah the Prophet in Thessaloniki". Archaeology Wiki. 2018-01-29. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2019-10-09.

[6] Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou & Tourta (1997), pp. 115–116

v t e Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki
UNESCO	Arch of Galerius and Rotunda Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Hagios Demetrios Church of St. Catherine Hagia Sophia Church of the Holy Apostles Vlatades Monastery Church of St. Nicholas Orphanos Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of St. Panteleimon Church of the Saviour Church of Prophet Elijah Church of Hosios David (Latomos Monastery) City Walls
Other	Baptistery of St. John the Baptist Cemetery Basilica Heptapyrgion Church of the Archangels Church of Taxiarches
Museums	Museum of Byzantine Culture

v t e Churches and monasteries in Greece
Aegean Islands	Hagios Spyridon Holy Trinity Panagia Episkopi Panagia tou Kastrou Prophet Elijah Saint Ignatius Saint Irene Nea Moni of Chios Our Lady of Tinos Panagia Gremniotissa Panagia Kanala Saint Francis of Assisi Saint George Saint John the Baptist Therapon Three Bells of Fira
Central Greece	Daphnion Hagia Triada Holy Apostles Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Hosios Loukas Little Metropolis Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens Omorfoklissia Panagia Kapnikarea Panagia Pantobasilissa Pantanassa church Saint Dionysius the Areopagite Saint Gregory the Illuminator Saint Irene Saint Panteleimon
Crete	Agia Triada Agios Minas Arkadi Assumption Cathedral Panagia Kera Presentation of Virgin Mary Saint Mark Saint Nicholas Saint Titus
Epirus	Panagia Molybdoskepastos Panagia Paregoretissa Red Church Saint Paraskevi
Ionian Islands	Saints James and Christopher Saint Mark Saint Spyridon
Macedonia	Baptistery of John the Baptist Acheiropoietos Hagia Sophia, Drama Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki Hagios Demetrios Holy Apostles Hosios David Immaculate Conception Old Metropolis, Veria Pammegistoi Taxiarches Panagia Chalkeon Prophet Elijah Protaton Saint Gregory Palamas Saint Catherine Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas Orphanos Saint Panteleimon Saint Paraskeva Savior church Vlatades
Peloponnese	Brontochion Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia Makelaria Panagia Trypiti Pantanassa Pantocrator Patapios Peribleptos Saint Andrew
Thessaly	Holy Trinity Makrinitissa Panagia Olympiotissa Porta Panagia
Thrace	Theotokos Kosmosoteira
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v t e World Heritage Sites in Greece
North	Aigai Mount Athos Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki City Walls Rotunda Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Saint Demetrios Latomou Monastery Church of Hagia Sophia Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Catherine Church of the Saviour Vlatades Monastery Church of Prophet Elijah Byzantine Bath Philippi
Central	Delphi Temple of Athena Pronaia Tholos Athenian Treasury Gymnasium Stoa of the Athenians Temple of Apollo Hosios Loukas Meteora Old Town of Corfu
Attica	Acropolis of Athens Daphni Monastery
South	Epidaurus Mycenae and Tiryns Lion Gate Tomb of Aegisthus Treasury of Atreus Tomb of Clytemnestra Grave Circle A Grave Circle B Mystras Olympia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
Aegean Islands	Delos Medieval City of Rhodes Grand Master's Palace Fortifications Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse Nea Moni of Chios Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos