Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos
Hagios Nikolaos Orfanos (Greek Άγιος Νικόλαος Ορφανός Agios Nikolaos Orfanos ) is a Byzantine church in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. It has significant wall paintings from the early 14th century and, with various other objects in Thessaloniki under the summary designation Early Christian and Byzantine buildings in Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
Today's small church located in the Upper Town of Thessaloniki. It was built as Catholicon, as the main church of a monastery. From the former monastery exist only two columns from the entrance gate.
The church was built in 1310-20 and founded by the Serbian king Stefan Uroš II Milutin. This had married a Byzantine princess and has established after reports of Serb sources in Thessaloniki churches and monasteries. Despite many different theories about the origin of the Church today, most authors have defined on the authorship of Milutin.
1635 and 1638 in records of Vlatades Monastery in Thessaloniki, where the church was during the Ottoman period, the name Hagios Nikolaos Orfanos called in a Code of 1745 it is called Hagios Nikolaos ton Orfanon. This is probably reference to the legend of Saint Nicholas of Myra, who is regarded as helper of the fatherless.
Probably the church was originally a three-aisled basilica. Today, it only consists of a single nave long room with a three-sided approach. The handling is covered with pitch roofs, which are dominated by the main room. From the main room of lead per mullioned wall openings in the northern and the southern part of dealing, to the west there is a small gate. The western part of the walkway serves as a narthex. Early Christian column capitals were reused in order to separate the sanctuary.
The frescoes covering the whole interior of the church and is completely preserved only in a few churches Thessaloniki was like here. It dates from the founding days of the Church 1310-20. The arrangement of the images follows a classical conception of paläologischen time and reflects the hierarchy of the Church in heaven resist. In the main room are located at the bottom of warrior - saints and doctors. In follow accounts of the Passion events and Mary Dormition above the west entrance. In the chancel is the representation of Mary between two angels, including the Church Fathers.
Importance
The frescoes of the church among the most important cycles of the early 14th century not only in Thessaloniki, but in the entire Macedonian and Serbian area. The painter is unknown, but there are links to some other churches and monasteries recognizable, which were also founded by King Milutin, including the monastery Hilandar on Mount Athos.