Church Building in Cyprus (Fourth to Seventh Centuries) : A Mirror of Intercultural Contacts in the Eastern Mediterranean

Some hundred early Christian churches are attested on Cyprus, dating from the fourth to seventh centuries. Their architectural remains have shaped the Cypriot landscape. The peculiar evolution of the features of the Cypriot church gave rise to a scientific discussion on how to evaluate these specific local developments. In the last decade, individual research as well as conferences and workshops dedicated to late antiquity and the early Byzantine period have contributed towards a new approach and a new impulse for the study of this period in Cyprus. The volume reinforces and furthers this trend taking into consideration relevant parameters reflected on the architectural planning, such as structural knowledge and innovations, cultic behaviours, liturgical traditions, economic capacities, social and political aspirations. Based on current developments in research, new findings in Cyprus and the focus on intercultural contacts, the volume is organised into four different sections: 1) Building the Christian cityscape and landscape; 2) Christian communities and church building, fourth to seventh centuries; 3) Interior arrangement and theological concepts; 4) „International Byzantine Style“? Local traditions and adaptations in- and outside Cyprus. Book Cover 1 Imprint 4 Contents 5 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction: Church and Religion in Cyprus (Marietta Horster and Doria Nicolaou) 9 1. Building the Christian Cityscape and Landscape 13 2. Christian Communities and Church Building, Fourth to Seventh Centuries 13 3. Interior Arrangement and Theological Concepts 14 4. ‘International Byzantine Style’? Local Traditions and Adaptations In- and Outside Cyprus 15 Bibliography 16 The Last Pagans of Cyprus: Prolegomena to a History of Transition from Polytheism to Christianity (Georgios Deligiannakis) 23 I. Literary and epigraphic evidence 25 II. The Churches 30 III. Episcopal Sees 32 IV. Prosopography 33 V. The Mosaics of the House of Aion 35 Concluding Remarks 38 Bibliography 39 Settled and Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus: Church and Landscape in the Xeros Valley during the Early Byzantine Period (Athanasios K. Vionis) 45 Introduction 45 Settled and Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus 46 Preliminary Survey Results in the Area of Kofinou 47 Churches and the Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus 51 Churches as Economic Central Places 55 Conclusion 63 Bibliography 66 Photo credits 69 New Evidence for the Early Byzantin eEcclesiastical Architecture of Cyprus (Eleni Procopiou) 73 The Cult of Saints in Early Byzantine Cyprus as Mirrored in Church Building and Epigraphy (Stephanos Efthymiadis) 99 Introduction 99 The Saints of Cyprus 100 Church Building in Hagiography 103 Church Building in Epigraphy 106 Conclusion 110 Bibliography 111 Photo credits 115 Liturgical Structures of the Early Christian Basilicas of Cyprus: A Spatial Analysis (Doria Nicolaou) 119 Conclusion 143 Bibliography 145 Photo credits 151 The Early Christian Baptismal Complexes of Cyprus and Their Liturgical Arrangement (Rania Michail) 153 Basilica of Saint Epiphanios at Salamis/Constantia 156 Episcopal Basilica of Kourion 159 Basilica of Saint Philon at Karpasia 162 Basilica at Agia Trias, Gialousa 163 Mazotos-Petounta Baptistery 163 Basilica of Galala 165 Arguable Baptisteries 166 Basilica A at Agios Georgios of Pegeia 169 Concluding Remarks 171 Bibliography 172 Photo credits 173 Spirituality and Hexis: Tracing the Christian Habitus in the Basilicas of Early Byzantine Cyprus (Chrysovalantis Kyriacou) 175 New Evidence for the Interior Decoration of the Early Christian Basilicas of Cyprus: The Case of Mosaics (Fryni Hadjichristofi) 191 Tamasos/Politiko 191 Akrotiri-Katalymata ton Plakoton 198 Tymbou-Agioi Saranta 201 Geroskipou-Agioi Pente 202 Kourion, coastal basilica 205 Bibliography 209 Photo credits 212 Mosaic Decoration in Early Christian Cyprus (Demetrios Michaelides) 213 Mythological Representations 215 Aniconic Decoration 222 Representations of Nature 224 Paphos, Chrysopolitissa 227 Soloi 228 Kourion 228 Amathous 230 Tymbou 230 Pegeia 231 Akrotiri 232 Bibliography 239 Photo credits 244 The Use of Textiles in Early Christian Churches – Evidence from Egypt (Fourth to Seventh Centuries) (Cäcilia Fluck) 247 1 Introduction 247 2 Textiles in Churches 250 2.1 The Altar-cloth 250 2.2 Curtains and Hangings 252 2.2.1 Painted Decoration 255 2.2.2 Woven Decoration 259 Bibliography 264 Photo credits 266 The Late Antique/Byzantine Churches and Houses of the Region around Seleucia on the Calycadnus in Rough Cilicia (Ina Eichner) 267 Transverse Arches 273 Imposts 273 Window Forms 280 Covered Public Passageways 281 Roof Forms 284 Porches and Entrance Canopies 285 Measurements of Doors 287 Summary 289 Bibliography 290 Photo credits 292 Index of monuments and sites 295 Some hundred early Christian churches are attested on Cyprus, dating from the fourth to seventh centuries. Their architectural remains have shaped the Cypriot landscape. The peculiar evolution of the features of the Cypriot church gave rise to a scientific discussion on how to evaluate these specific local developments. In the last decade, individual research as well as conferences and workshops dedicated to late antiquity and the early Byzantine period have contributed towards a new approach and a new impulse for the study of this period in Cyprus. The volume reinforces and furthers this trend taking into consideration relevant parameters reflected on the architectural planning, such as structural knowledge and innovations, cultic behaviours, liturgical traditions, economic capacities, social and political aspirations.0Based on current developments in research, new findings in Cyprus and the focus on intercultural contacts, the volume is organised into four different sections: 1) Building the Christian cityscape and landscape; 2) Christian communities and church building, fourth to seventh centuries; 3) Interior arrangement and theological concepts; 4) 'International Byzantine Style'? Local traditions and adaptations in- and outside Cyprus