Trilye (Zeytinbağı) Ioannes Theologos (Aya Yani) Pelekete Manastırı Kilisesi

Abstract

The Church of Hagios Ioannes Theologos Pelekete Monastery (Aya Yani) in the Opsikion Thema in the Bithynia Region, is located approximately 5 km. west from Tirilye (Trigleia), connected to the district Mudanya (Apameia) of the province Bursa (Prousa), opposite from the Imralı (Kalonymos) Island and lies within private property land boundaries. The architecture, materials and techniques, architectural plastic works and building remains around the Pelekete Monastery Church, which has been dated by researched to the 8th century, constitutes the subject of our work. Together with the big role, the monastery played during the Iconoclasm period, it is also one of the earliest examples of the closed Greek cross church in the region. The church has reached the present time through many repairs and lies in ruins today.

The main purpose of our study is to introduce and document the structure of the Byzantine period in an architectural way, compare it to other similar structures and determine the importance of the structure within the Byzantine architecture. Problems that can be detected in the church are revealed and solutions for these problems are proposed with the help of architectural items in the building. No detailed study on the structure has been carried out until today and it hasn't been sufficiently investigated. Since construction and restitution studies have not been carried out previously, sections and drawings of the plans, sections, facades, architectural plastic works and the monk's cave have been. The present situation was documented with photographs and the building materials of the church have been analyzed in laboratories.