Friday, July 16, 2010

Harry Tzalas on identifying the Christian building under the Casino Chatby in Alexandria

The Casino of Chatby is smaller that a Basilica; but it is not necessarily on that stone platform [on which the Casino stands] that the Basilica stood. My impression is that on the site of the Martyrium --originally a small chapel built on the tomb-- a larger church was then erected, but not only a church...there were certainly many other buildings. We have to think of something that attracted pilgrims so there was the necessity of more than a church.

The fact that in 1218 the governor of Alexandria decided to put down the church, because he feared that it could be used by an enemy army as a stronghold for an attack, speaks for itself. A church, even a large church, would not present a threat but there probably was a complex of buildings.


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