Daphni Monastery is a Byzantine monastery near Athens, on the Sacred Way to Eleusis, founded on the site of an earlier Christian church, which had replaced a temple of Apollo. Its 11th-century church is a masterpiece of Middle Byzantine architecture, of the cross-in-square type, topped by a dome. Its interior is decorated with gold-ground mosaics, notably the stern image of Christ Pantocrator in the dome. After the Fourth Crusade the monastery was given to Cistercian monks from Burgundy and became the burial place of the Frankish dukes of Athens of the de la Roche family. Later it was again a Greek Orthodox monastery under Ottoman rule. An earthquake in 1999 damaged it, and it was closed for restoration for many years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni.
Before and after
- from 11th century to 14th centuryOrigins of Catharism
- 11th centuryPublication of The Song of Roland
- 11th centuryBayeux Tapestry
- from 11th century to 17th centuryConstruction of Bagrati Cathedral
- 11th centuryConstruction of Daphni Monastery
- 11th centuryOrigins of Shah-i-Zinda
- 11th centuryRise of House of Hohenzollern
- 11th centuryConstruction of Burana Tower
- from 1100 to 1470Chimú culture
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 537 CEConstruction of Hagia Sophia
- 778 CEConstruction of Kiyomizu-dera
- 802 CEConstruction of Angkor Wat
- 1193Origins of Chernobyl
- from 29 July 1299 to 17 November 1922Ottoman Empire
- 1373Construction of Leaning Tower of Pisa
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes.