Manama: The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Bahrain, hosted a lecture focused on the Christianisation of town and countryside in the Byzantine provinces from the fourth to the seventh centuries CE. The event took place at the Bahrain National Museum and featured Associate Professor Athanasios Vionis from the Archaeological Research Unit at the University of Cyprus as the guest speaker.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the lecture coincided with the celebrations of Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It was attended by Dr. Salman Ahmed Al Mahari, Director General of Archaeology at BACA, along with several cultural figures. Professor Vionis explored the significant role of Christianity in shaping urban and rural landscapes during the Byzantine period. He highlighted its influence on urban planning and residential development, which accommodated places of worship and religious gatherings, subsequently influencing the evolution of arts and architecture.
Athanasios Vionis, an Associate Professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Art at the University of Cyprus, is also the Director of the Archaeological Research Unit. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Ancient History and Archaeology from Durham University in the United Kingdom and completed his PhD in Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology in 2005. Vionis conducted postdoctoral research at KU Leuven in Belgium and, in 2018, was appointed Coordinator of the Commission for Byzantine Archaeology by the Bureau of the International Association of Byzantine Studies.
His research interests include landscape archaeology, archaeological survey, settled and sacred landscapes, and GIS applications in archaeology. He also studies spatial use, pottery technology and production, food preferences, and daily life during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Vionis has authored a book on the Ionian Islands during the medieval and post-medieval periods and has written more than 70 academic papers and scholarly contributions.