Where to go in Athens

Hadrian’s Library

Hadrian’s Library is a big complex of archaeological monuments that is spread over Areos, Aiolou and Pandrosou Street in Plaka. The rectangular building of the Library (122m×82m) is in the north part of the Roman Agora.
Emperor Hadrian built Herculius it in A.D. 132 destroyed by the Herulae in A.D. 267 and in A.D. 412 it was repaired by the Roman Eparchus. In the 5th century the quatrefoil building of the Early Christian church was constructed in the centre of the peristyle court. 2 centuries later, a three-aisled basilica was erected on its ruins. In the 11th century, a single-aisled basilica, the Church of Megale Panagia (Holy Mary) was built there. Considerable to say is that during the Turkish occupation, those archaeological monuments became the seat of Voevode, the Governor of the city.
The first excavation campaign was conducted in the central and eastern part of the monument, after the great fire of 1885, which damaged the Agora (Bazaar) and the church of Megale Panaghia. Between 1960 – 1970, restoration efforts were carried out at the west facade and the colonnade of the basilica of Megale Panaghia, and in 1975 -1976 the Propylon was consolidated. Nowadays, the archaeologists are preparing a study about the reconstruction of the Library.
The Most important monuments of that complex are: the Quatrefoil building, the Church of Megale Panagia (Holy Mary), and the ruins of the seven columns of the Library.
For more details, you can visit the website of the Ministry of Culture www.culture.gr/

by Alexandra Baka

posted by fejsgr @ 2:17 PM