Summary
Kapsoudas Petros, The Byzantine Sculptures in the Tower of the Pantokratoros Monastery, on Mount Athos
In the tower of the Pantokratoros Monastery of Mount Athos are kept various objects that have been collected from the monastery complex itself and its surrounding properties. Most are decorative elements of buildings, mainly from temples and chapels. They include some Byzantine marble architectural members which are listed here. The small number of marble members and their fragmented state does not allow for their classification or, above all, their identification with specific buildings. However, they are strong indications of the development of Mount Athos during the middle Byzantine times and complement the overall picture of sculptural decoration found in the sacred sites of the Athonian peninsula.
From the examination of these sculptures from the Pantokratoros monastery it is clear that the majority date back to the 11th century. Taking into account the fact that most belong to different groups, we can conclude that important and richly decorated buildings were erected in the wider area of the monastery during this century. This finding confirms the oral tradition of the monastery that its foundation dates back to the days of Alexios Komninos and that the brothers Alexios and Ioannis found and built upon a pre-existing settlement in the area.
