The Cathedral of Agias Anáktisis
The largest building in Komneia, the Church of the Holy Recovery, and one of the holiest places in the world for those of the Ecclesia.
Purpose / Function
The cathedral began as a temple dedicated to the old Rasennan god Manus, with the adoption of the cult of Victus Ouea as the empire's new religion, the temple became a church and served as the only church in the city for a long time. As the cult became the Ecclesia, the cathedral gained significance as one of the holiest places for the new faith as it was supposedly built by an Emperor with sympathies and supposed allegiance to the faith and where a Saint-Emperor was shown the path forward for the empire. With the destruction of the Megele in Rasca, the now cathedral became the new seat of the imperial Auger who would turn into the Patriarch of the faith.
Agias Anáktisis serves as a continual reminder of the past the Komneians cling so tightly to. Built well in the heyday of the empire, it sits as a majestic sight to the many spectators and worshippers who come to its golden doors daily to offer alms and give thanks.
Agias Anáktisis serves as a continual reminder of the past the Komneians cling so tightly to. Built well in the heyday of the empire, it sits as a majestic sight to the many spectators and worshippers who come to its golden doors daily to offer alms and give thanks.
Alterations
As the cathedral was dedicated to a god, the statue of Manus was removed from the center of the floor and replaced with the holy waters. The statue can still be found though, in a dilapidated state in the western wing where its marble is used to restore accessible points along the wall there. The only original piece of the cathedral is the central complex, the rest of the complex was added later and became an area of the city known solely for its religious significance. The many towers were added periodically as well as the neighboring shrine of Blessed Sestaia which was built later during the reign of Emperor Roman IV.
Architecture
Using Mykran architecture designs, the large dome of Agias Anáktisis is truly a wonder of architectural engineering. Strong Rasennan concrete was used in the mold and it is supported by dozens of pillars in common styles of the time when it was constructed. The simple facade on the front of the cathedral is mainly tan in color with slightly red hues and decorated with statues and elaborate mosaics. Internally, much of the walls by the entrances are decorated with porphyry, an igneous rock used extensively in the later imperial ages and commonly associated with the imperial family.
History
Little in the world can rival the immensity and significance of Agias Anáktisis. Built over the course of the reign of Emperor Aurakios, the first place of worship here was a modest temple to the local deity Karkoma, a native Agrihenian goddess known to be a patron of wisdom and introspection. The temple was demolished to make way for a mansion but this too was bought and demolished as plans for an expansive church were made here. In the theology of both branches of the Ecclesia, Emperor Aurakios is attributed to having first received a divine vision from Deus/Theos and been instructed to build a grand temple to spread the worship of the deity.
What is known is that construction for the temple was begun early into Aurakios' twenty-five-year reign and ended a year before his death. Initially serving as a monumental temple to the god Manus, as the imperial cult of Victus Ouea came to be the empire's primary religion, the temple was rededicated to the new deity of the empire. The statue of Manus was replaced with a bowl of sacred water which is said to have washed away the impurity of Emperor Rursus and given him the clarity to convert the empire. From Rursus to Roman I, the church was secondary to the Church in Rasca as the seat of the auger of the Imperial Cult. After the Megele Ecclesia, the church in Rasca was destroyed in a riot, the church in Komneia now served as the largest in the empire and the new seat of the imperial auger. Before the empire's collapse, the cathedral was named "Ekklisía tis Theías Diávgeias" or The Church of the Divine Clarity, for the waters at its center.
During the reign of Emperor Roman IV "Vasilaiós", the cathedral began to take on the status as the holiest place for the now codified theology of the Ecclesia. Relics began to be stored in the cathedral and it took on more meaning in the minds and hearts of the believers in Theos. During times of crisis, mass would be held at the cathedral and sorrowful prayers said for the empire's wellbeing. During the reign of Arno, he would be crowned a second time in the cathedral as he reconquered the rest of Agrihenia from the Yarmeza. Exaltations were said in the cathedral for thirteen days in joy over the "Imperii renovatio Rasenna" or Renewal of the Empire of the Rasenna which Arno's campaigns were being seen as. This joy ended with his death and Komenia effectively slipped away from the dying empire. During this calamitous period, Prince Theophilos and Patriarch Hycesthes renamed the cathedral to its present title which portrays the sorrow the principality now felt over the perceived death of the Empire.
For the next seven centuries, Agias Anáktisis served as the beating heart of the Principality and with its presence, it shined on as a motivating mission for the recovery and restoration of the old empire.
What is known is that construction for the temple was begun early into Aurakios' twenty-five-year reign and ended a year before his death. Initially serving as a monumental temple to the god Manus, as the imperial cult of Victus Ouea came to be the empire's primary religion, the temple was rededicated to the new deity of the empire. The statue of Manus was replaced with a bowl of sacred water which is said to have washed away the impurity of Emperor Rursus and given him the clarity to convert the empire. From Rursus to Roman I, the church was secondary to the Church in Rasca as the seat of the auger of the Imperial Cult. After the Megele Ecclesia, the church in Rasca was destroyed in a riot, the church in Komneia now served as the largest in the empire and the new seat of the imperial auger. Before the empire's collapse, the cathedral was named "Ekklisía tis Theías Diávgeias" or The Church of the Divine Clarity, for the waters at its center.
During the reign of Emperor Roman IV "Vasilaiós", the cathedral began to take on the status as the holiest place for the now codified theology of the Ecclesia. Relics began to be stored in the cathedral and it took on more meaning in the minds and hearts of the believers in Theos. During times of crisis, mass would be held at the cathedral and sorrowful prayers said for the empire's wellbeing. During the reign of Arno, he would be crowned a second time in the cathedral as he reconquered the rest of Agrihenia from the Yarmeza. Exaltations were said in the cathedral for thirteen days in joy over the "Imperii renovatio Rasenna" or Renewal of the Empire of the Rasenna which Arno's campaigns were being seen as. This joy ended with his death and Komenia effectively slipped away from the dying empire. During this calamitous period, Prince Theophilos and Patriarch Hycesthes renamed the cathedral to its present title which portrays the sorrow the principality now felt over the perceived death of the Empire.
For the next seven centuries, Agias Anáktisis served as the beating heart of the Principality and with its presence, it shined on as a motivating mission for the recovery and restoration of the old empire.
Tourism
The site of Agias Anáktisis is a pilgrim destination for those of the Pankomisa Ecclesia and even those of the western Mundana. The cathedral is theologically considered to be a part of the Magna Ecclesia, the conceived "Great Church" which unites both of the separated branches as one. Those who have managed to take in the majesty and beauty of this marvel of the old world are many and foreign dignitaries are often taken to a mass at the cathedral as a display of the power the Principality still holds. One diplomat of the Ivanshar was taken there during worship and wrote,
"And so taken was I by the beauty of the temple in Erebu (Natreshan word for the Rasenna) that I questioned how a false god could be granted such a spectacular display. Their temple is a true beauty and if I was inclined, in another life I would wish to be among the congregants of that purple floor."
(The Shimmering Stained Glass of the Theos Paráthyro, The Window of God)
Founding Date
689-674 B.E
Alternative Names
"Ekklisía tis Agías Anáktisis kai tis Aftokratorikís Anakaínisis" or Church of the Holy Recovery and of the Imperial Renovation
Type
Cathedral / Great temple
Parent Location
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
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