The 'Panagia Blachernae (Gr. Παναγία η Βλαχερνίτισσα, Turkish: Meryem Ana Kilisesi) [1] is a 7th century Byzantine icon from Constantinople preserved in the imperial palace of Blachernai. The icon, according to tradition, was not written; rather, it was made from a composition of wax and the ashes of 6th-century martyred Christians.[2][3] This icon were defaced during the 1955 Riots in Istanbul. A rare copy of the Blachernitissa icon is also located in Russia at the Tretyakov Gallery.
Origins of the name
There are two geographical places named "Blachernae" and "Vlachernae", respectivaly. The first, and recognised as the origins of the Blachernae icon and church tradition, is a district of Istanbul in Turkey and is spelt with a B. The second area, is a municipality in the prefecture of Arta, Greece; it is not so well known and is spelt with a V. The correct spelling for the icon and the Church should therefore begin with a "B".
There are many anecdotes attempting to describe the origins of the name 'Blachernae of Istanbul, Turkey: 1) The first is that the origin of the name is derived from a type of fish pronounced in Greek as Palamyda. This type of fish would be fished from the Bosphorus river. In Latin, the same type of fish is pronounced Lakernai and this anecdote says that the dialect of the region pronounced Lakernai as Blachernai[4]
Churches
- The first Church of Blachernae: Church of the Virgin of Blachernae, Istanbul (Turkey).
- Church of Blachernae, Pontikonisi (Corfu, Greece)
- Church of Blachernae, Peloponneso (Greece), a 12th century church decorated with beautiful frescoes of St. John the Baptist.
- Isle of Dias, village of Kalligata (Kefalonia, Greece)
Monasteries
- Panagia Blahernon (Corfu, Greece), 17th century.
- Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery (Williston, Florida)
References
- ↑ Also known as Blachernitissa or Vlachernae, or Vlahernon
- ↑ Blachernitissa at Wikipedia
- ↑ The Eastern Orthodox Church tradition is that there is only one other icon of this type— the icon of the Archangel Michael of Mantamados.
- ↑ This opinion was supported by Skarlatos Byzantios who refers to this in Volume I of the Constantinople Theofilakton of 1351.