The Municipality of Sithonia in cooperation with the Library & Information Centre (A.U.Th.), the Museum of Byzantine Culture and the Mount Athos Centre, houses in the Historic and Folklore Museum of the town of Nikiti the temporary exhibition, titled “The Hagia Sophia of the Fossati brothers through the Trikoglios Library of the A.U.TH.” from 8 June until 30 September.

The exhibition is a production of the Museum of Byzantine Culture (idea, texts, graphics) and it was firstly presented, from June until November 2017, in the Museum of Byzantine Culture, on the occasion of the celebration of the 90+ years of operation (1927-2017) of the Library & Information Centre of the A.U.Th.

For the first time twenty two (22) colored lithographs of Gaspare Fossati are presented in the exhibition. The lithographs show the brilliant 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.

The opening of the exhibition is on Friday 8 June at 21:30.

COORDINATION

Ekaterini Nasta, Director of the Central Library

Dr Agathoniki Tsilipakou, Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

GENERAL SUPERVISION

Dr Agathoniki Tsilipakou, Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

EXHIBITION CURATOR – TEXTS

Dr Anastassios Sinakos, Archaeologist of the Museum of Byzantine Culture

EXHIBITION DESIGN – GRAPHICS

Anastassia Karadimitriou, Architect

COMMUNICATION – PUBLIC RELATIONS

Meropi Zioyana, Archaeologist

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Dr Georgios Boudalis, Conservator

Georgios Alexandris, Vassilios Grantsanlis, Vassilios Remvos, Technicians

LIGHTING

Georgios Zigas, Lighting technician

SUPPORT

Anastassios Ntouros, Director of the Mount Athos Center