Papers by Nikolaos Mertzimekis
The presence of Athonite monks in the today's territory of Bulgaria during the 17th -19th century... more The presence of Athonite monks in the today's territory of Bulgaria during the 17th -19th century: Spiritual and socio-economic relations Athonite monks, by having a wide network of metochia in the today's territory of Bulgaria, had the opportunity, either through their representatives in the metochia or through travelling Athonite monks, to engage with spiritual activity among Orthodox believers, to organize pilgrimages, to sustain and reinforce in this way the relations of the ordinary people with the popular monasteries and the monastic ideal. The metochia of Athonite monasteries were the nucleus, which handed down a climate of Athonite liturgical life and spirituality. It is no coincidence that in three Bulgarian cities, Sofia, Veliko Tûrnovo and Sliven, with which Athonite monasteries had spiritual relations, monastic regions had been created with the name “Sveta Gora” (Mount Athos). The local building complexes of metochia, were the “consulates” of Athonite monasteries out of the Mount Athos world. Metochia were the spiritual homes where Christians resorted, while on the other hand the most affluent of them became sponsors of the work of Mount Athos, by lending funds and financing construction projects and hagiography by the churches for the benefit of the monasteries. The role of the monk travelers and the metochia of Athonite monasteries in this case for one more time became multidimensional. (We are talking about) A bidirectional relationship forged over the years between the monks of Mount Athos and the local Christian populations, with obvious and multiple benefits for both parts. From our researches up till now, it is shown that 12 out of 20 monasteries of Mount Athos had possessions of metochia in the today's territory of Bulgaria, during the 17th – 19th century. Nevertheless, there were many travelling Athonite monks except those from Mount Athos. Besides, these areas were a passage to the Dunabian Principalities and the distant Russia, where monks from Mount Athos traveled quite often for supply and demand.
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The current assignment discusses the relationships of the monasteries of Mount Athos with Russia,... more The current assignment discusses the relationships of the monasteries of Mount Athos with Russia, based on two gold‑embroidered vestments, which are kept in sacristies of Athonite monastery Iviron. The ecclesiastical embroidered vestment is kept in the sacristy of the Iviron’s monastery and it is a pair of cuffs (epimanikia), gifts from devoted Christians from Bolsheretskiy ostrog of Kamchatka peninsula.
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Since the end of the 14th century, and with a constantly increasing rhythm in the 16th century, t... more Since the end of the 14th century, and with a constantly increasing rhythm in the 16th century, the Athonite Monks turn to the same religious dogma Danubian Principalities to overcome the economic problems that the Ottoman conquest have gained. In addition to financial aid, the voevodes and their officials, ecclesiastical and secular, also donated ecclesiastical items to the monasteries of Mount Athos and their metocheia. The object of the present work is two chalices with inscriptions, which are kept in the sacristy of the Athonite monastery of Iviron and were made by order of the Ungro-Wallachian Archbishops Euthimius II (1568-1576) and Michael I (1586-1589), as it is referred to their dedicated inscriptions.
The ecclesiastical functional vessels of the Iviron monastery, along with other of their kind, which are kept in the Athonite sacristies, document once again the very close spiritual and not only relations of the monasteries of Mount Athos with the Danubian Principalities.
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Annuaire de L’Université de Sofia, T. 99 (18), 2017
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“Ктиторските портрети и надписи в съборния храм на Зографския манастир – безспорни доказателства за многовековната му история и традиция”, LAUDATOR TEMPORIS ACTI, STUDIA IN MEMORIAM IOANNIS A. BOŽILOV, Vol. II, IUS, IMPERIUM, POTESTAS, LITTERAE, ARS ET ARCHAEOLOGIA, Sofia 2018, 588-606.
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The history of the Saint Tryphon cell at Karyes, Mount
Athos is outlined by historical and archae... more The history of the Saint Tryphon cell at Karyes, Mount
Athos is outlined by historical and archaeological evidence.
At the same time the wall paintings of the chapel,
dating back to the second half of the 18th century and
definitely after 1773, are presented and associated with
the artistic workshops that were active on Mount Athos
at that time.
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The 4th March 2004 fire burnt down at least half of Chelandar monastic complex, causing enormous ... more The 4th March 2004 fire burnt down at least half of Chelandar monastic complex, causing enormous destruction. The Greek Ministry of Culture, via the former 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities (today Ephorate of Antiquities for Chalkidiki and Mount Athos), in collaboration with the monastery, undertook the painstaking removal of the debris. In September 2005 inside the Nea Konakia wing, a small number of architectural marble members were revealed; they were probably stored there. Some of them were known, as they had been published by Sl. Nenadović.
All the members are dated in the middle byzantine period. About their origins we can only speculate. The only available information comes from Nenadović, who noted as place of origin the region of Ouranoupolis village, especially a location in the north, called «Paliomelissa (Παλιομέλισσα)", near the Mount Athos borderline. In this area there are the ruins of a middle byzantine triconch church and Nenadovićbelievedthat they belonged to Zygos Monastery; it was granted in 1199 to Chelandar. But later I. Papaggelos’ research proved the location of Zygos in another nearby location, called “Fragokastro (Φραγκόκαστρο)”. Papaggelos also established that the above ruined church was the Melisourgou Monastery, dated in the 11thc. It’s possible the information by Nenadović is strongly related to Melisourgou Monastery.
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Papers by Nikolaos Mertzimekis
The ecclesiastical functional vessels of the Iviron monastery, along with other of their kind, which are kept in the Athonite sacristies, document once again the very close spiritual and not only relations of the monasteries of Mount Athos with the Danubian Principalities.
Athos is outlined by historical and archaeological evidence.
At the same time the wall paintings of the chapel,
dating back to the second half of the 18th century and
definitely after 1773, are presented and associated with
the artistic workshops that were active on Mount Athos
at that time.
All the members are dated in the middle byzantine period. About their origins we can only speculate. The only available information comes from Nenadović, who noted as place of origin the region of Ouranoupolis village, especially a location in the north, called «Paliomelissa (Παλιομέλισσα)", near the Mount Athos borderline. In this area there are the ruins of a middle byzantine triconch church and Nenadovićbelievedthat they belonged to Zygos Monastery; it was granted in 1199 to Chelandar. But later I. Papaggelos’ research proved the location of Zygos in another nearby location, called “Fragokastro (Φραγκόκαστρο)”. Papaggelos also established that the above ruined church was the Melisourgou Monastery, dated in the 11thc. It’s possible the information by Nenadović is strongly related to Melisourgou Monastery.
The ecclesiastical functional vessels of the Iviron monastery, along with other of their kind, which are kept in the Athonite sacristies, document once again the very close spiritual and not only relations of the monasteries of Mount Athos with the Danubian Principalities.
Athos is outlined by historical and archaeological evidence.
At the same time the wall paintings of the chapel,
dating back to the second half of the 18th century and
definitely after 1773, are presented and associated with
the artistic workshops that were active on Mount Athos
at that time.
All the members are dated in the middle byzantine period. About their origins we can only speculate. The only available information comes from Nenadović, who noted as place of origin the region of Ouranoupolis village, especially a location in the north, called «Paliomelissa (Παλιομέλισσα)", near the Mount Athos borderline. In this area there are the ruins of a middle byzantine triconch church and Nenadovićbelievedthat they belonged to Zygos Monastery; it was granted in 1199 to Chelandar. But later I. Papaggelos’ research proved the location of Zygos in another nearby location, called “Fragokastro (Φραγκόκαστρο)”. Papaggelos also established that the above ruined church was the Melisourgou Monastery, dated in the 11thc. It’s possible the information by Nenadović is strongly related to Melisourgou Monastery.