Barrel-vaulted single-nave churches with lateral choirs (in greek)

The type of barrel-vaulted single-nave churches with lateral choirs represents a very simple architectural structure. The nave consists of a single room, covered with a semicircular barrel-vault and the choirs are annexed at the lateral wall-faces. The interior length of these rather small churches ranges from 4.50m. to 10.50m. and their width from 2.50m. to 5m. An extended group of churches, mostly appearing in Western Bulgaria, belongs to this specific architectural type. However, other individual churches, localized in other parts of the same country, as well as in Serbia, Albania and Romania, also form part of the same type. The diameter/chord of the choirs of these monuments ranges from 1m. to 3m. The choirs are covered with a conch, which is situated lower than the beginning of the barrel-vault. The sanctuary apse projects outwards to the east, and a small conch of Prothesis appears at the eastern wall, north of the apse. At the west wall-face there is a big arch with responds that reach the level of the ground, and the lunette is constructed deeper, within 0.25m. to 1.33m. Scarcely, outdoor decoration appears, consisting only of brick bands and frescos. The churches are made of rubble stones and carved limestone. Limestone is mostly used at the responds. These monuments are covered with saddleback roof made of stone slabs. All churches were wall-painted from their lower to upper parts. Nowadays, only a limited number of frescos survive. In many cases the murals in the choirs are of great interest, and the use of the choirs themselves is not connected with the sanctuary. They appear to serve as a place for veneration of images, candlesticks, storage reliquary, offertory table or pew for important persons. Barrel-vaulted single-nave churches with lateral choirs serve small communities, either cosmic or ecclesiastical, and thus they can be found as the Katholikon of monasteries or as a parekklesion close to residential areas. The earliest sample of this type is the church of Saint George in Studena, which dates from the middle to the end of the 15th century.