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The Orthodox Cathedral...
ST. GEORGE OF THE GREEKS
The
great Gothic cathedral or 'Metropolis' of the Orthodox Church in Famagusta
(St. George of the Greeks) is a very remarkable building from every
point of view. Built on to the side of the little primitive Byzantine
church (St. Symeon church), it completely overshadows and practically
effaces its parent building. In addition to its immense size - unprecedented
in Cyprus building of a native kind - several remarkable differences
from the usual Byzantine arrangements are noticeable in the plan. In
adopting the Gothic style of the XIVth century the Orthodox clergy seem
to have waived several well-known prejudices of their church and allowed
an unusual resemblance to Latin peculiarities of plan and ritual arrangement.
Identification of date in medieval building in Cyprus is a very difficult
and uncertain study. The methods of work and masoncraft seem to have
been full of archaisms at all periods. Naturally this arises from local
workers being employed in copying a foreign style for which they had
no natural affinity.
European masons and sculptors were certainly employed on the Latin Cathedral
of 1311; if European workers were not engaged for the Orthodox building,
we must suppose the native artisans had assimulated western ideas of
work and craft in a very remarkable manner. Such neatly-jointed stone-work,
carefully executed vaultings, and elaborate mouldings to arch or window
are hardly to be found elsewhere in buildings of the native Cyprus church.
It may be concluded from the plan that in all probability a domical
lantern was constructed in the middle of the nave vaulting. This feature,
so beloved by Byzantine architects, probably added to the unsubstantial
constructive character of the church, and assisted in the general downfall
of the vaulting at the time of the bombardment in 1571. Only at the
north-east corner of the ruin a fragment of the original vault remained.
(Check in 2004 if it still does at the present day.)
This church must have presented a very remarkable and magnificent appearance
when it stood complete with its elaborate carved and gilded furniture
of the later medieval style. It apparently possessed a stone iconostasis,
the traces of a foundation for which remain at the pavement level. The
walls of the cathedral, where not occupied with doorways, are constructed
to receive 'founders' tombs', and this method of construction has unfortunately
tended towards the destruction of the building, as in so many other
churches in Cyprus.
In the Latin Cathedral there are also 'founders' tombs', but they have
a comparatively small influence on the stability of the edifice. In
the 'Greek' cathedral and in the later Latin churches these tombs are
introduced in such a manner as to completely cut away the main strength
of the church walls. As a sign of date, these 'founders' tombs' may
be taken to represent the last years of the XIVth century. The system
rapidly spread over Christendom as an easy way of obtaining money for
erecting churches in the days before 'bazaars' and other modern means
for the purpose.
The second peculiar resemblance between
the Orthodox Cathedral and the Latin type of plan is the presence of
small sacristies or treasuries leading out of the three eastern apses.
In the Orthodox ritual there is no necessity for a distinct or external
sacristy: the space of the 'prothesis' occupies the place. Why should
these unusual features have been introduced?
