ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΑ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΑ Ι.Μ.Ι.Σ. ENG

he cathedral church of the diocese of Ierapetra, known as the All-Holy Virgin of the
Seven Domes, in the settlement of Episkopi, close to Ierapetra, was demolished at the
beginning of the 20th century so that the present church could be built in its place. From the
name and the few photos preserved by Gerola it appears to have been a large church of the
SAINT GEORGE &
SAINT CHARALAMBOS
AT EPISKOPI
52
architectural plan of the cross-in-square with a central
dome and smaller domes, or domes on pendentives,
with many and important sculptures and columns from
various periods. The double church of Saints George
and Charalambos survives across from the church. The
aisle of St. George is a middle Byzantine building with a large mastoid dome which rests on
a rectangular base. To the east and west the church ends in two semi-circular apses, in the
shape of a hoof in the interior, while to the north, it connects to a rectangular, barrel-vaulted
space. The eastern apse is used as the sanctuary of the church while its later central entrance
has been opened in the west one. The drum of the large dome is divided into two bands of
which the lower one is unadorned while the upper one is plastically structured with blind
arcades, built with the recessed brick technique, and are crowned by a band with decorative
ceramic rosettes. Two rectangular windows open on the north and south sides of the dome.
Corresponding blind arcades adorn the upper parts of the semi-circular apses. The roofs
are covered by a thick layer of masonry cement, consisting of lime mixed with earthenware
(or brick) and sand. Parts of off-white mortar survive externally on which are double incisions
in imitation of opus isodomum masonry. These elements contribute to the dating of the
monument to the 11th century. The barrel-vaulted, single-nave church of St. Charalambos
was added on the south side, during the 16th century. The narrow fronts end in triangular
pediments that form parapets and the roof is covered by a thick layer of masonry cement
consisting of lime mixed with earthenware/brick and sand, as is customary generally in
eastern Crete.
From excavation research which took place in the interior of the church and underneath the
more recent floors and graves, constructions and plumbing were discovered incorporated in
the masonry which show that the church was originally a middle Byzantine bath which was
transformed into a church in the years of the late Venetian occupation, with the demolition
of the south compartment and the erection, in its place, of a second aisle, the opening of the
west door and other modifications so that it could respond to its new use. It seems that,
originally, the north section played the role of the “frigidarium, cold,” the central the role of
the “caldarium, hot” and the south one the role of the “tepidarium, lukewarm.” It presents
close typological similarity with other middle Byzantine baths, such as in the Monastery of
Kaisariani and the Zoodochos Pigi [Life-giving Spring] at Dervenosali. It obviously predates
the smaller, similarly formed, bath of Kato [Lower] Episkopi in Siteia which was also converted
into the church of the Holy Apostles in the same period. The bath of Episkopi at Ierapetra
appears to be directly connected with the Episcopal complex which probably existed close
to the demolished cathedral church of the All-Holy Virgin of the Seven Domes. [M. A.]
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The large number of churches within and without the settlement of Kavousi is evidence
of its flourishing, mainly during the period of Venetian occupation.
St. George, in the centre of the settlement, belongs to the architectural plan of the singlenave
church with a transverse, tripartite narthex. It has two layers of wall painting decoration
of the 14th and 15th centuries, of which the later one is the most
extensively preserved in the main church and the central section of
the narthex. The iconographic programme includes, apart from the
usual Christological cycle, a compact Marian cycle and the cycle of
St. George. The west wall and parts of the lateral walls are occupied by the large representation
of the Second Coming with its miniature and particularly graphic figures of the damned in its
lower part. From the remaining representations, Abba Zosimas with St. Mary of Egypt in the
intrados of the north arch of the narthex as well as the western-style depiction of the All-
Holy Virgin the Galaktotrofousa [Milk-giver] on the north wall close to the altar screen, are
noteworthy.
The single-nave church of the Holy Apostles, 100 metres to the south of St. George, also
has two layers of wall paintings of the 14th and 15th centuries respectively. From the first
layer very few forms can be discerned, such as the full-length figure of the woman donor on
the north wall who has the attributive “presvyterysa” [wife of a priest]. The second layer,
THE CHURCHES
AT KAVOUSI