What is this site (going to be) about?
The Cella Septichora (i.e. a "chapel with seven choirs or apses" ) is one - and so far the biggest known - building of the Late Roman / Early Christian necropolis of the Ancient Sopianae, the adminstrative seat of the praeses (governor) of the Province of Valeria (today Pécs, Hungary). The chapel was constructed at the very end of the 4th but maybe even the beginning of the 5th century A.D. According to recent researches (in 2005-2007), it was probably not finished at all.
After its "true launch", the site is going to host information about the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pécs but we are not planning to constrain the information on exclusively the Roman Era but also later times of the history of the city so articles about the Medieval or Ottoman Eras will aso be published. One of the main goals of the site is to visualize these past ages with the help of moder computer technology, 3D reconstruction of those ephemeral buildings (and other artefacts) lay people can only see in their ruins nowadays.
Until more content is uploaded, here is an image of the interior of the possible reconstruction of the Cella Septichora, at the top right, you can see (and follow in full screen) the recosntruction of a Late Roman basilica and here the reconstruction of Medieval (14th century) Carlemite church and monastery can be seen.
In the years between 2005 and 2007, extensive excavations revealed the whole Cella Septichora then an exhibition center was built around it - and seven other, previously known but smaller chapels and burial chambers of the same era. Ever since, the "Cella Septichora Visitor Center" has become one of the main tourist attractions of Pécs, Hungary. In some other burial chambers (like "Burial chamber #2 with the Wine Pitcher", "Burial Chamber #1 with St. Peter and Paul" or the "Early Christian Mausoleum", beautiful frescos can bee seen.
The 4th century, Early Christian Cemetery or "Necropolis" became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in the year 2000 when its curretly used logo, part of the suspension of an oil lamp, a bronze Christogram was also found. Currently altogether some dozen of the 25 known structures can be visited on three different sites nearby each other but the Cathedral, the "Street of Museums" (officially Káptalan utca - "Chapter's Street") and other places of interest are all in the vicinity and walking distance.