Located in present
day Istanbul, the Monastery of Stoudios
or more formally known as “Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner "at Stoudios"” was founded by
senator Studios in 463 AD. Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the monastery
became one of the most powerful churches of its time., the Monastery was
destroyed in 1453 during the Turks conquest of Constantinople and has remained in constant disrepair.
The monastery is
modeled after basilicas of the time. It has a central nave with flanked by
aisles. Elongated column capitals expanding to a clerestory, arch top windows
and a semi-circular apse. However, the proportions are greatly reduced and
influenced be early Byzantine culture.1
The first major test
the Stoudites faced came in 484-519 AD during the schism of Acacius. The
monastery served a predominant role in early byzantine culture, becoming a
stronghold against iconoclast heretics in the eighth and ninth century.
The monastery has
fallen into vast disrepair over time. Having been destroyed by foreign
invaders, fires and natural disasters. Much of the interior has been destroyed
and the roof caved in. The monastery stayed like this for nearly a hundred
years before being converted into a mosque in 2014. This has outraged the
Christian community whom believe the building should be made into a museum for
early Christianity.
Work Cited
1 1)
Early
Christian and Byzantine Architecture, Krautheimer, Richard. Penguin Books 1965
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