Byzantine Athens, 10th-12th Centuries

The book investigates Athens in the middle Byzantine period, i.e. from the mid-10th century to 1204 (its conquest by the Crusaders), through surviving architectural remains and the scarce relevant literature, also summing up all recent bibliographical references by modern researchers and scholars. During that time Athens, although deprived of its ancient impact, was still an important city of the Byzantine empire. It was the base of the Metropolitan (religious leader), housed the local aristocracy and was the destination of the annual popular Christian pilgrimage to the church dedicated to the Virgin in the Parthenon. The book defines the built-up areas, streets and fortifications of medieval Athens; and explores the evidence for the architectural plans of Byzantine houses. Above all, it studies the near 40 churches functioning in that period, and puts forward reconstruction for the plans of the destroyed and deformed ones. It constitutes an invaluable compendium of current knowledge on the city.

Professor Charalambos Bouras is a scholar of international recognition who taught History of Architecture in the Universities of Thessaloniki and Athens for 35 years. Beside being a specialist in Byzantine and post-Byzantine architecture he has made significant contributions in issues relating to ancient architecture. He is also the President of the Committee for the Restoration of the Acropolis Monuments.