The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Museum of Byzantine Culture and the History Museum of Alexandroupolis co-organize the temporary exhibition under the title: “The Hagia Sophia of the Fossati brothers through the Trikoglios Library of the A.U.TH.”, on the occasion of the celebration of the 90+ years of operation (1927-2017) of the Library & Information Centre of the A.U.TH. The exhibition will be inaugurated on Wednesday 22nd of November, 2017 at 20.00 p.m. and will be hosted in the museum till the 10th of January, 2018. It was initially presented in the Museum of Byzantine Culture from June to November, 2017.

Twenty two (22) colored lithographs of Gaspare Fossati are presented in the exhibition showing the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and its surrounding area. These excellent works of art were made during the restoration works (1847-1849) on this exquisite monument of global cultural heritage by the two Italian-Swiss architects Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati. The lithographs are framed by maps of Constantinople (15th, 16th and 18th c.), plans of the church of Hagia Sophia and a brief presentation of the history of the monument through time. The material comes from the famous “Trikoglios Library”, donation of the Greek John Trikoglou, who lived in Egypt, to the Library of the A.U.TH. in 1963. Moreover, the visitor will have the opportunity to watch on a screen selected modern photographic material of Hagia Sophia from the Digital Archive of Greek Culture of Th. Korres (A.U.TH.).

Parallel targets of the exhibition are the promotion of the material of the “Trikoglios Library” and, on the other hand, the emergence of the always topical issue of the protection of monuments of different peoples, cultures and religions, according to the international conventions, the principles of UNESCO and of other international organizations.

Programme of the exhibition’s opening:

20.00-20.15 Attendance

20.15 Welcome speech by Nikolaos Pinantzis, President of the Historic Museum of Alexandroupolis

20.30 Greeting speech by Aikaterini Nasta, Library Director, Central Library Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

20.35 Greeting speech by Dr. Agathoniki Tsilipakou, Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

20.40 Speech by Dr. Georgios Tsigaras, Assisant Professor of the Democritus University of Thrace under the title “The artistic and aesthetical vision of Hagia Sophia” (in greek)

21.00 Speech by Dr. Antonis Saragiotis, Historian of Modern Art and curator of the exhibition

21.15 Musical tribute to the musical tradition of Constantinople (17th-19th c.) (singing Angelos Bentis, violin player Filippos Efraimidis, klarino player Nikolas Efraimidis)

Contributors of the Exhibition:

General Co-ordination 

Aikaterini Nasta, Library Director, Central Library Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dr. Agathoniki Tsilipakou, Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

General editing-Text editing

Dr. Agathoniki Tsilipakou, Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

Exhibition’s curator-texts

Dr. A. Sinakos, Archaeologist, Museum of Byzantine Culture

Curator of the material of the Library & Information Centre of the A.U.TH-Curator of the exhibition held in the History Museum of Alexandroupolis

Dr. A. Saragiotis, Historian of Modern Art

Museography-Graphics

A. Karadimitriou, architect-engineer, Museum of Byzantine Culture

Public relations-communication

M. Ziogana, archaeologist, Museum of Byzantine Culture

Technical support

Dr. G. Boudalis, conservator

G. Alexandris, V. Remvos, V. Gratsanlis, technicianas, Museum of Byzantine Culture

Lighting

G. Zigkas