A proskynetarion (Greek ''προσκυνητάριον'', plural proskynetaria; from ''προσκύνησις'',

proskynesis Proskynesis or proscynesis , or proskinesis (Greek , ''proskýnēsis''; Latin adoratio) is a solemn gesture of respect for the gods and people; among the Persians, it referred to a man prostrating himself and kissing the earth, or the limbs ...

, lit. 'kiss towards something') is a term suggesting worship and reverence, which has several concrete applications.

Islamic cultic place or object

As a rare

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...

term meaning "oratory" or "place of worship", it was used for Islamic cultic places or objects.Proskynetarion
in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, via OxfordReference.com. Accessed 24 Feb 2021.

Monumental icon

"Proskynetarion" can mean a monumental

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most c ...

of the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

usually depicting

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religi ...

, the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, or the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy, advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, ...

of a church. Proskynetaria were usually made of

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

or fresco in a marble frame and placed on the piers separating the parts of a

templon A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple", plural ''templa'') is a feature of Byzantine churches consisting of a barrier separating the nave from the sanctuary near the altar. The solid templon first appeared in Christian churches aro ...

in a Byzantine church, though proskynetaria of patron saints were often in the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

or on the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

walls.

Pilgrim's guide to the Holy Land

Proskynetaria were also a genre of Orthodox Christian

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

guides A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Expl ...

to the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Ho ...

, which appeared in the mid-17th century and flourished during the 18th.Chrysanthus of Bursa. Proskynetarion [Pilgrim's Guide
of Jerusalem">ilgrim's Guide">Chrysanthus of Bursa. Proskynetarion [Pilgrim's Guide
of Jerusalemand Palestine. Vienna, Schrämbl, 1807. From ''Travelogues'' website, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation. Accessed 24 Feb 2021. The usually small-format, accessibly written books served as practical itinerary suggestions, with descriptions of the pilgrimage sites in Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East J ...

Islamic cultic place or object

Monumental icon

Pilgrim's guide to the Holy Land

Souvenir icon for Holy Land pilgrims

Wayside proskynetaria

References

Further reading