ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ - ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Page 148

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The northwest section of the Daphni Monastery catholicon before the exonarthex’s restoration by Eustratios Stikas
and Charalambos Bouras at the end of the 1950s (Deltion tis Christianikis Archaeologikis Etaireias, 1962-1963, pl. 4, fig. 1).
and the government to close the monastery for the
public in order to maximize action and achieve more
effective protection, which includes supports of the
latest technology, new restoration plans both for the
architecture and the mosaics, small scale excavations, a
smal museum and the protection of the surrounding area.
The architecture of the Daphni Monastery
Like all monasteries, Daphni was built in order to serve
the needs of the convent. This dictated the many
additions and repairs during its long history.
The catholicon. Being the most important part
of monastic life, the catholicon church is usually
monumental and occupies the centre of the monastery.
The Daphni church has an impressive size, complex
architectural type and high-quality masonry. It is one of
the most important Helladic examples of the composite
octagonal type. It has a large cube with a large dome,
which, on the inside, steps upon four pairs of supports,
both pillars and walljambs. The support pairs form four
squinches and eight pendentives bearing the dome. The
octagonal type follows Persian and Armenian prototypes,
which were diffused to the Greek mainland through
Constantinople, where the idea of squinches had been
invented and used in the 10th and 11th centuries.
Octagonal churches leave a wide space underneath
the dome, which creates a united and uplifting feeling.
At Daphni this feeling is further stressed by the light
coming from sixteen dome windows. The exterior is an
example of stone and brick cloisonne masonry, with
pseudo-kufic decoration and simple brick stripes round
the window arches. The sculpted decoration is restricted
but well-crafted. The narthex acquired an exonarthex in