ARCHITECTURE

Corinthia in the Ottoman period through interdisciplinary studies (SH6 3996) – COPIS

CN6:  Survey, photographs, documentation of the Ottoman monuments of the villages Νemea, Vasiliko, Τrikala, Corinth, Αg. Vasileios, Αyionori, Sofiko and other villages, which will be regarded as important after complying the relevant catalog of monuments.

dr Eleni I. Kanetaki, architect engineer NTUA,
Spec. in Restoration of Monuments, Univ. degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza

OTTOMAN MONUMENTS IN CORINTHIA

​The Ottoman Turkish tribe started conquering the Balkan peninsula around the last decades of the 14th c. Especially Peloponnese was occupied by the Ottoman twice. Originally in mid 15th c., till the second half of 17th c. and from ca. 1715 until the Hellenic Revolution War.

Ottomans marked their passage by the Balkan cities with the offprint of their culture: although they brought many of their cultural features from Anatolia, they assimilated others found in the conquered lands and developed a multi-cultural character. This noticeable architectural “Ottoman” expression included many building types, that were formed within this cultural mix: Architecture was practised primarily under the guidance of Islamic faith, serving also as a mean of responding to public needs, (social and commercial ones), as well as an expression of power and posthumous fame by the dominant rulers of the Empire.

In Greece numerous Ottoman buildings were constructed during the Ottoman (Turkish) occupation, that can still be traced all over the Hellenic lands. A large number of them has not survived till today, but were destroyed during the past century. The existing Ottoman buildings are nowadays under protection of the Ministry of Culture and are listed as “monuments worthy to be preserved”.
Ottoman Buildings which are found in Greece belong to three basic categories:

• religious buildings, such as mosques (cami), mescit, tekke, türbe, imaret, medrese, that in many cases formed part of a külliye,
• secular buildings, i. social- public and ii. domestic ones, (including commercial ones, such as bedestens, social buildings, as hammams, fountains (çeşme or sebil), markets, caravanserais, libraries, etc. and houses-sarays, castles, etc.),
• works of military architecture, such as fortresses, towers.

Besides Mosques, there were several other types of Ottoman monuments. As Islam prescribes ablution before prayer and the overall importance of water, there was a wide demand for the construction of fountains, public baths and water supplies, facilities which definitely were rare before the Ottoman occupation.

In addition, its insistence on Islamic education and study from childhood to old age gave a great impulse to the building of medreses. Also, since social and medical assistance are among the basic principles of this religion, hospices and hospitals were required to be built. Finally the importance attached in Islam to commerce created a demand for hostelries and caravanserais.

Therefore, mosques, religious schools, convents, soup-kitchens for the poor, khans, baths (hammams) were constructed, enriching the conquered cities with a number of religious and secular buildings, necessary for the Ottoman society’s basic needs.

The second part of this multiscientific research (CN6) focuses on the Architectural, Topographical and Historical Documentation of the Ottoman Monuments in Corinthia, based on in situ conducted field work -architectural survey plans, combined with bibliographical references and historical data available.

The existing Ottoman monuments that have survived in the geographical region of Corinthia are found mostly in the former administrative centre of Ancient Corinth (Gördüs) and at the hill of Acrocorinth, while others are found scattered in smaller settlements of the area (i.e. Vasiliko).

Apart from the Ottoman monuments of Corinthia (mosques, baths, tekke, türbe, etc), the scientific research will incorporate a few representative buildings, that were constructed by the locals, the native Greek population, who resided the Corinthian villages. Therefore a. secular buildings, such as mansions belonging to noted Greek families, as well as fortified residences-towers), and b. religious buildings-complexes, such as Christian postbyzantine churches and monasteries, built during the time that the Corinthian lands were under the Ottoman occupation, may be included, although they certainly are not being considered as “Ottoman” but as “postbyzantine”, in case of the churches and monasteries.

OTTOMAN MONUMENTS IN THE REGION OF CORINTHIA: THE HISTORIC SETTLEMENTS OF ANCIENT CORINTH (GÖRDŰS) AND ANCIENT SIKYONA (VASILIKO)

1.Ottoman Monuments in Ancient Corinth

Acrocorinth Castle

Acrocorinth: West walls defences and the settlement from the southwest (Athanasoulis Demetrios, To Κάστρο Ακροκορίνθου και η ανάδειξή του (2006-2009), 25η Εφορεία Βυζαντινών Αρχαιοτήτων, Hellenic Ministry of Culture Publication, Ancient Corinth 2009, p. 18-19)..

Acrocorinth: 2nd Gate and North half of 2nd line (Andrews Kevin, “Corinth”, in Castles of the Morea, ASCSA, 2006, (1^st edition Princeton, 1953), p. 143).Acrocorinth: 3rd line of defense from the south (Andrews Kevin, “Corinth”, in Castles of the Morea, ASCSA, 2006, (1^st edition Princeton, 1953), p. 139).Morea-Acrocorinth, Ahmed Pasha M.  from Machiel Kiel’s digital archive

Acrocorinthus and its fortifications from the south.(Athanasoulis Demetrios, To Κάστρο Ακροκορίνθου και η ανάδειξή του (2006-2009), 25^η Εφορεία Βυζαντινών Αρχαιοτήτων, Hellenic Ministry of Culture Publication, Ancient Corinth 2009, p. 45).

• Haci Mustafa fountain
• Anaploga fountain
• Murat Ağa fountain 
• Tekke (Sezai-yi Gülseni Türbesi)
• Tekke fountain (remains)
• Kachros fountain (remains)
• Kiamil Bey’s palace (remains)
• Kiamil Bey’s palace monumental stairway
• Kiamil (Kâmil) Bey’s palace hammam
• Small hammam at the lower city
• Hammam at the lower city behind the Tekke

2. Ottoman Monuments in Ancient Sikyona (Vasiliko):

• “Megali” or “Palia Vrysi” (Big Fountain)
• “Mikri Vrysi” (Small Fountain)
• Sikyona arched bridge “Tourkogefyra” over the Asopos river, near Vasiliko

Apart from the Ottoman monuments of Corinthia, the scientific research incorporates a few representative buildings constructed by the locals, the native Greek population, who resided the Corinthian villages. Therefore a. secular buildings, such as mansions belonging to noted Greek families, as well as fortified residences-towers), and b. religious buildings-complexes, such as Christian postbyzantine churches and monasteries, built during the time that the Corinthian lands were under the Ottoman occupation, may be included, although they certainly are not being considered as “Ottoman” but as “postbyzantine”.

MONUMENTS FOUND IN THE REGION OF CORINTHIA, WHOSE DATE OF CONSTRUCTION IS ESTIMATED DURING THE PERIOD OF THE DATING FROM THE OTTOMAN PERIOD IN CORINTHIA

​Secular buildings (mansions, fortified residences-towers) & Religious buildings (Postbyzantine churches and monasteries). Representative noted monuments.

1.Sykia near Xylokastro

Kiamil Bey’s summer residence (Sgouraioi tower)

The Sgouraioi tower (named also as Metaxas) is found in Sykia, which according to oral sources originally belonged to Kiamil Bey of Corinth.

It is a small building consisting of two storeys, a ground floor and first floor 12,00×6,00 m (and 12,00x 7,80 m at the vertical part of the T), which has been radically altered. It is constructed of masonry, which has been plastered.

The small arched openings at the southeastern façade, located at the first floor only, are typical of its form, as well as the ashlar masonry on its narrow sides, where the axis is stressed by the decorated projection of the fireplace.

Sources

Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.

Dimitropoulou Μagdalini, Πυργόσπιτο Κιαμήλ Μπέη στη Συκιά Κορινθίας: Αποκατάσταση και διαμόρφωση περιβάλλοντος χώρου, Διπλωματική εργασία στο Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων Μηχανικών Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών, επιβλέπων καθηγητής Κουφόπουλος Πέτρος, Patra 2011.

•Kiamil Bey’s summer residence (Sgourewn tower-residence)

2.Trikala Corinthias

• Notara’s mansion and Dasios’ mansion in Ano Trikala
• In the region of Corinthia, two of the oldest mansions are situated in Ano Trikala: the one belonged to the Notaras and the second to the Dasios family. They were constructed approximately during the same period, -as far as Dasiou mansion was concerned, a plaque found above the main entrance door, signified the date of its construction, -“May 1806” was inscribed, as well as on a cornerstone.The Notaras mansion is formed in a U shape plan, while Dasiou mansion followed a L shape plan. The Notaras has recently (2014) undergone serious structural problems, as the northern longitudinal wall has collapsed. The second residence (Dasiou) was damaged by a fire in 1946 and only a few remaining walls evidenced its former existence.
• Their architecture was simple and imposing, as they were built with a fortress-like character.
  Τhe façade had small openings, which became smaller as they reached the highest levels. Only the top floor. which had a wooden open balcony -in Notaras mansion- opened outward (collapsed in 1981), while the rest of the house remained enclosed. A distinctive trait of these mansions was the differentiation of the external walls of the body of the house (the ground and first floor) from the top floor, which was of white washed çatma (light structure composed of wooden vertical and horizontal beams, mortar and other connective materials) with large, numerous openings. The biggest and most interesting mansion was the one belonging to the noted Notaras family, as its history is directly connected to the historic evolution of the area -Corinthia. The mansion was originally enclosed by a wall for defensive purposes and inside it outbuildings were found. Its façade consisted of the ground floor and two upper storeys, while its rear part, because of a difference in ground elevation, had only a ground floor. The entrance is traced on the interior wing of the U plan, although now this wing has collapsed.
  The storage spaces were on the ground floor and originally the only openings there were small embrasures. On the middle floor (metzopatoma), the spaces for residence and storage were situated. The family mainly resided at the top floor, which was flooded with light. It consisted of one large space, the “sala”, with an excellent view. All the rooms in the house, the “ondades” (odalar in Turkish), communicated one with the other through this space.
  Notaras mansionA characteristic feature of this mansion is that a special space was constructed on its middle floor and used as a hiding place. It could be entered only by a trapdoor on the top floor and once inside it, one could survey the surroundings to a great distance.
  The austerity and spareness that dominated its exterior form were also found in the interior: the only decorated colored feature in the house was the ceilings, which displayed bright color combinations. They were made either of panels surrounded by a grid of wooden strips, where the center of the room was stressed, or more rarely. Receding levels in relief where depth was stressed boards and stripping were the most common structure in all the houses. Unfortunately these examples of woodcut ceiling art have been damaged as the wall collapsed. The furniture was bought in various places, mainly in Europe.
  It was worth mentioning, that according to the testimony of Lord Byron, who stayed in the house as a guest of doctor Panousos Notaras by 1806, this mansion possessed the only private library he had seen in Greece.
• Sources

Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.
Chrysafi-Ζografou Μetaxoula, «Κορινθία. Παραδοσιακή Αρχιτεκτονική», στο Ελληνική Παραδοσιακή Αρχιτεκτονική, τ. 5, Μέλισσα, Αθήνα, 1988.
Chrysafi Ξένια, “Τα αρχοντικά των Τρικάλων και της Γκούρας”, Αίπυτος, τ. 2-3, 1993.
Chrysafi-Zografou Xenia, 1η Έκθεση Αρχιτεκτονικού έργου Κορίνθιων Αρχιτεκτόνων και Κατάλογος Έκθεσης, Corinth 1996.
Dimakopoulos Ιοrdanis, «Πύργοι»: Οι οχυρές κατοικίες της Προεπαναστατικής Πελοποννήσου”, Πρακτικά του Γ’ Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών, Καλαμάτα 8-15 Σεπτεμβρίου 1985, Πελοποννησιακά. Περιοδικό της Εταιρείας Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών 13, Αthens 1985, τ. 1 (1987-1988).

•Notara’s mansion in Ano Trikala
•Dasiou mansion in Ano Trikala
•Koimisi Theotokou Mesi Synoikia

3.Pyrgos near Evrostini

Kordis’ Mansion

The local vernacular architecture in Corinthia included secular buildings such as the noted families’ Notaras and Dasiou mansions, as well as isolated dwellings of fortress-like character in function and form. Typical examples are traced at the village of Pyrgos in the former municipality of Evrostina and Agioi Theodoroi. According to the shape of their plan, they can be divided into two categories:
a. the ones in a more or less square shaped plan and
b. the towers in a “T” shape.

Towers belonging to the first typological group, appear to be in ruins today, therefore any information concerning these buildings come from written sources. A typical example of a square shaped ground floor plan tower was the dilapidated one, once standing in the lower part of Ancient Corinth, as depicted by Theodose Du Moncel in his painting “Medieval remains in Corinth. Part of the Castle of Kiamil Bey”, plate 5, “Excursion par terre d’Athenes a Nauplie”, Paris circa 1845.

There are two crumbling examples of the second category, -the one of the T shaped ground floor plan that can still be found in the area. The “Sgouraioi family tower” (named also as “Metaxas tower”) is found in Sykia close to Xylokastro, which according to oral sources originally belonged to Kiamil Bey of Corinth.

The second example is the “Mamonas tower”, today known as “Kordis tower”, in the village of Pyrgos, Evrostini. It was built by the Venetians at the end of the 17th c., and the building has undergone many construction phases. Its groundfloor plan, as well as its facades, present an incipient symmetry. It expands in three storeys, On the ground floor three vaulted spaces were used as storage areas. There were no openings except for small embrasures and one door, in the approximate center, which was protected by a machicolation, like the main entrance in the first floor. The first floor also communicated with the first floor internally by means of a movable wooden staircase, and then by a built in stone staircase, where the vault and the wall intersected: when the wooden staircase was drawn up, the ground floor was isolated from the first floor.

The partitions on the first floor were the same as the ones at the ground floor. The side spaces were wider and were used as the family residence, the “best” room and the kitchen, each equipped with a fireplace. In the middle area, opposite the main entrance, an unobtrusive opening led to a small space, which projected axially from the rest of the building. This room, covered with a flat roof, was used as an observation post and had small openings on its sides. An especially interesting feature is the arch formed on the external façade of this space, which recalls the Venetian occupation.

A wooden staircase leads to the second floor, which has been repaired, passed through many building phases (now it is covered with a roof). There are traces which reveal that a wooden balcony must have existed on the NE side.

Çatma was used at the exterior walls. This floor plan consists of four rooms sharing a common corridor, which leads to a makeshift and to an opening for the flat roof of the observation post. A few decades ago this was turned into a covered terrace.

The interior of the tower is distinguished by its spareness. There is some attempt of decoration in the best room, on the first floor, with simple carvings on the door, the cupboard doors and the ceiling which does not, however, make for a less austere image.
The building had been abandoned by its owners for many years. Now a recent restoration project has been concluded (2006) and the tower is consolidated.

Sources

Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.
Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “1η Έκθεση Αρχιτεκτονικού έργου Κορίνθιων Αρχιτεκτόνων” και Κατάλογος Έκθεσης, Κόρινθος 1996.
Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “Η αναστήλωση του πύργου Κορδή στην Ευρωστίνη Κορινθίας”, 2o Πανελλήνιο Συνέδριο Αναστηλώσεων (ΕΤΕΠΑΜ), Thessaloniki 2006 και σχετική Δημοσίευση στα Πρακτικά Συνεδρίου.

Dimakopoulos Ιοrdanis, “Πύργοι»: Οι οχυρές κατοικίες της Προεπαναστατικής Πελοποννήσου”, Πρακτικά του Γ’ Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών, Καλαμάτα 8-15 Σεπτεμβρίου 1985, Πελοποννησιακά. Περιοδικό της Εταιρείας Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών 13, Αthens 1985, τ. 1 (1987-1988).

Eleni I. Kanetaki

Architectural survey of the elevated ground floor plan (Metaxoula Chrysafi-Zografou, Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987).Architetctural survey of the 1st floor plan, (Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.).Architectural survey of the …..floor plan (Metaxoula Chrysafi-Zografou, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.).Architectural survey of the building’s facades (Metaxoula Chrysafi-Zografou, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.).Architectural survey of the building’s vertical sections(Metaxoula Chrysafi-Zografou, “Corinthia”, in Greek Traditional Architecture, vol. 5, Melissa, Athens 1987.).

• Aghios Georgios Zacholis (near Evrostini)

The church stands in a mountainous terrain, in a fertile and verdant area.
The building’s ground floor plan is of a rectangular shape, 13,50 x 27,05 m, excluding the apses of the bema. The walls have a 0,98 m thickness and are built of local sedimentary limestone poros with a yellow-red tint. There are two small windows in each of the two longitudinal sides (0,16×0,45 m), two large windows (0,70×1,15 m) and a door, (the north door measures 1,65×2,80 m, while the south one 1,29×2,80 m).). An additional window is found at the south façade.

The interior of the church is divided into three aisles by two rows of supports, consisting of five pairs ofcolumns and two pairs of pillars. The central aisle is 4,36 m wide and is roofed with a barrel vault. It is reinforced by seven cross-springers corresponding to the seven pairs of supports. The side aisles are roofed with small domical vaults (phournika), with domes. The original arched door to the gynaikonitis still exists in the west façade.  The bema has three apses, but the two small niches inside the church at either side of the prothesis and diakonikon evidence the fact that the three aisled church belongs to the type of the “triple” churches constructed during the Ottoman conquest of the area, designed to fulfill a three sided function: the north apse was devoted to Agios Konstantinos and Eleni, the south apse to the worship of Agios Demetrios and the main apse is dedicated to the saint after whom the church was named.

Agios Georgios and its row of domesThe church is covered by a gabled roof, above which project the main dome, the four corner domes, and six small blind domes over each side aisle.

According to the local tradition, the church was built in 1811 at a period of 39 days. Two inscriptions, found at the entrance of each longitudinal sides, were later added in the main structure.

The church seems to have passed by two different constructi0nal phases, the one in 1811, during which it had a wooden roof and the second one, during which the church became a domed building.
Sources

Petronwtis Αrg., «Η πολύτρουλη Βασιλική του Αγίου Γεωργίου Ζάχολης (Τhe multi-domed basilica of Aghios Georgios at Zakholi, formerly the chief village of Korinthia)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση, τ. 7, Thessaloniki 2013.

Eleni I. Kanetaki

Architectural survey of Agios Georgios’ southern facade in Zaholi (Petronwtis Αrg., «Η πολύτρουλη Βασιλική του Αγίου Γεωργίου Ζάχολης (Τhe multi-domed basilica of Aghios Georgios at Zakholi, formerly the chief village of Korinthia)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση, τ. 7, Thessaloniki 2013).

Architectural survey of Agios Georgios’  ground floor plan in Zaholi (Petronwtis Αrg., «Η πολύτρουλη Βασιλική του Αγίου Γεωργίου Ζάχολης (Τhe multi-domed basilica of Aghios Georgios at Zakholi, formerly the chief village of Korinthia)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση, τ. 7, Thessaloniki 2013).

Architectural survey of Agios Georgios’ transversal section in Zaholi (Petronwtis Αrg., «Η πολύτρουλη Βασιλική του Αγίου Γεωργίου Ζάχολης (Τhe multi-domed basilica of Aghios Georgios at Zakholi, formerly the chief village of Korinthia)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση, τ. 7, Thessaloniki 2013).

Sketches depicting the constructional phases of Agios Georgios (Petronwtis Αrg., «Η πολύτρουλη Βασιλική του Αγίου Γεωργίου Ζάχολης (Τhe multi-domed basilica of Aghios Georgios at Zakholi, formerly the chief village of Korinthia)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση τ. 7, Thessaloniki 2013).lezanta
The main entrance of the multidomed Agios Georgios church.Detail of the southern facade over the entrance.The church’s domes at the northern side.The complex of Agios Georgios’ church in Zacholi.

Pyrgos Kordi

4.  Nemea 

Aghios Georgios Church in Nemea

The church of Hagios Georgios lies at the west end of the town of Nemea, beside a small pine tree grove. According to old oral testimonies the church had been a dependency (a metochion) of the monastery of Ha¬gios Georgios of Pheneos. Actually the same testimo¬nies talk about the existence of monks’ cells, a dining room (trapeza), stores and stables at the area of the adjacent small wood that served the monks, who culti¬vated the monastery’s fields in the area.

The church is a single nave, long vaulted basilica, 5.50 m wide and 10.60 m long without the apse, with an abbreviated dome at the center. In its interior five blind arches line each long side and over them there is a barrel vault. The longitudinal vault is interrupted in the center by two transversal higher barrel vaults with a dome in the middle.

This building type is quite common in the Peloponnese, as well as in the area of Corinthia. Morphological features of the church, such as the plain octagonal drum of the dome with four slender windows, the arched doorways on the west and south facades, the characteristic form of the tiny, flamboyant arches on the apse windows and those at the central part of the north and south sides, are traced in many other religious structures of the region.

This roofing typology is encountered in other churches of Corinthia, such as the ones of Agios Georgios (1700) in Sofiko, Agios Antonios and Hypapante at the same village, and also at the today demolished church of Agios Demetrios at Stefani.
In the interior the walls are lime-washed now, but there are two wall-painted blind arches by the built templon. The lower zone at its west side is also wall-painted, while its higher zone is decorated with wood-carvings.

The entrance to the church(photo: courtesy of M. Chrysafi-Zografou). The church is built with rubble masonry that form roughly horizontal courses with horizontal broken tiles in between the stones. At the building corners and the door shafts big perpendicular cut stones are used, together with architectural members in second use from ancient buildings (spolia).

Having in mind the date of the construction of the katholikon at the monastery of Hagios Georgios of Phe¬neos in 1693 and the close similarities in masonry and other morphological features between the two church¬es (Pheneou and Nemea), a date can be proposed at the first half of the 18th century and most possibly just after 1700 for the construction of Hagios Georgios at Nemea.
Sources

Theocharidou Kalliopi – Ζografou-Chrysafi Metaxoula, «Ο ναός του Αγιώργη Νεμέας» (The Church of Hagios Georgios at Nemea)», Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση τ. 7, εκδ. Μυδρονία, Thessaloniki, 2013, 51-56.

Eleni I. Kanetaki

The groundfloor plan of the church (Theocharidou Kalliopi – Ζografou-Chrysafi Metaxoula, «Ο ναός του Αγιώργη Νεμέας» (The Church of Hagios Georgios at Nemea)»,Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση τ. 7, εκδ. Μυδρονία, Thessaloniki, 2013, 51-56.)

Longitudinal section of the church (Theocharidou Kalliopi – Ζografou-Chrysafi Metaxoula, «Ο ναός του Αγιώργη Νεμέας» (The Church of Hagios Georgios at Nemea)»,Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση τ. 7, εκδ. Μυδρονία, Thessaloniki, 2013, 51-56.)

Northern facade of the church (Theocharidou Kalliopi – Ζografou-Chrysafi Metaxoula, «Ο ναός του Αγιώργη Νεμέας» (The Church of Hagios Georgios at Nemea)»,Εκκλησίες στην Ελλάδα μετά την Άλωση τ. 7, εκδ. Μυδρονία, Thessaloniki, 2013, 51-56.)

• Agios Georgios church

5. Zacholi (Evrostini) 

• Agios Georgios church

6. Pheneos 

Aghios Georgios Monastery in Pheneos

The church of Agios Georgios in Pheneos belongs to an important monastery complex, situated northwest of the village of Kalyvia. The monastery (Palaiomonastiro) was initially situated at a lower level, but the 14th c. structure was abandoned due to the raise of water level at the nearby lake Doxa, which caused its relocation to a higher ground at north.  The new construction was ready by 1693.
The katholikon is a domed basilica with narthex and exonarthex (external dimensions 15,65×7,49 m) built in 1693. The narthex is covered by a dome, the main naos of the church (belonging to a basilica with dome, supported by barrel vaults that rest on four semipillars type plan). At the middle of the main aisle the bema is located, and the prothesis and diakonikon at its both sides. The middle niche externally forms a semipentagonal shape.

The church was damaged in 1740 by a fire. The whole complex was renovated in 1754. Wall paintings were made by Panayiotes of Ioannina, who followed the Cretan fresco style, by 1762-1768, according to an inscription found above the main entrance of the church. The carved templon dates to the 18th century (1762).

The monastery extends in three levels, as it is constructed enclosing a courtyard (36,60×30,00 m) with Agios Georgios church.

Sources

http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/gh251.jsp?obj_id=1487&era=3&group=7, official website of the Greek Ministry of Culture
Chrysafi Ζografou Μ., «Άμεσες Σωστικές εργασίες στο Μοναστήρι Αγ. Γεωργίου Φενεού», εκπονηθείσα μελέτη, Κorinthos 2013.

Gritsopoulos Τ., «Μονή Αγ. Γεωργίου Φενεού», Πρακτκά 1ου Συνεδρίου Κορινθιακών Σπουδών, Ιστορικά Κορινθιακά Μοναστήρια, Κόρινθος 5-7 Μαίου 2006, Κorinthos 2009, 19-60.

Stikas Ε., «Ιερά Μονή Αγ. Γεωργίου Φενεού», Πελοποννησιακή Πρωτοχρονιά 1964, 113-114.

Eleni I. Kanetaki

The main courtyard of the Monastery.The main courtyard with its two storeys
The dome of Agios Georgios 
The interior of the “hayat”, overlooking the panorama and Lake Doxa.The entrance of Agios Georgios’ KatholikonThe existing frescoes inside Agios Georgios’s churchThe interior of Agios Georgios and the inscription regarding the church’s construction 

The ground floor plan of Agios Georgios church in Feneos (Stikas Ε., «Ιερά Μονή Αγ. Γεωργίου Φενεού», Πελοποννησιακή Πρωτοχρονιά 1964, 113-114.).Detail of the frescoes regarding the church’s construction (Stikas Ε., «Ιερά Μονή Αγ. Γεωργίου Φενεού», Πελοποννησιακή Πρωτοχρονιά 1964, 113-114.).

•Agios Georgios Monastery

7. Sofiko

Church of Hypapante

The church of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Hypapante) stands on the slope of Mt Tsalikas, very close to the village of Sofiko, while the one of St Anthony is in the locality known as Tourla (or Zaraka).

Anastasios Orlandos, in his article «Βυζαντινοί ναοί της ανατολικής Κορινθίας», Αρχείο των Βυζαντινών Μνημείων της Ελλάδος, had suggested that they were Post-Byzantine churches dating from the 17th -18th c). Since then, several scholars have made reference to the two churches, but none has ever challenged Orlandos’s proposed chronology.

[Both churches belong to a rare variation of the single-aisle cross-in-square type, in which the transverse cross arm is a little tighter and at a slightly higher level than the longitudinal one. Externally, both churches appear to have cross arms of equal width and height. The definition of the term used of this rare typological variation remains unclear. Various scholars have made different propositions, such as “cross-vaulted churches with dome”, “vaulted domed basilicas”, “single-aisle cross-in square churches” or “single-aisle churches with abbreviated dome”. A more accurate term would seem to be: single-aisle cross-in-square churches with cross arms of unequal width.

The Hypapante church has a rectangular ground plan with projecting circular apse. The north and south cross arms are covered by flat arches. The dome has a cylindrical drum crowned by a level cornice and articulated with one window and three blind arches. The masonry is entirely covered with cement. The reconsideration of the dating of the monument is advocated by the wall-paintings preserved on the tympana of the transverse cross arms, which can be dated to the third quarter of the 13th c].

Sources

Κappas Μichael – Fousteris Yorgos, «Επανεξέταση δύο ναών του Σοφικού Κορινθίας», Δελτίο ΧΑΕ, Τόμος ΚΖ΄ (2006), Athens, p. 61-72.

Οrlandos Αnastasios, «Βυζαντινοί ναοί της ανατολικής Κορινθίας», Αρχείο των Βυζαντινών Μνημείων της Ελλάδος, τ. Α’, Αthens 1935, p. 53-90.

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•Hypapante church (church of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple)
• Agios Georgios church
•Αgios Αntonios church

8.Ancient Sikyona (Vasiliko)

•Agios Nikolaos church.