Church of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas

What I can see

This church is a simple four-column cruciform of the first half of the 11^th century, with an octagonal Athenian-type dome. Subsequent additions have been made, such as the western narthex with the bell tower, the chapel of Aghia Paraskevi on the south side and the closure of the apses of the sanctum with struts. Its cloisonné masonry was recently revealed during restoration works. Eight kufic ornaments are preserved inside (e.g. on a window of the north side). We can also see a number of architectural parts and sculptures of earlier eras, built into the walls, such as columns and column capitals.

What I can't see

During the Ottoman period, the bells were removed because their use was prohibited. After the Greek Revolution, the bell tower of the temple was the first to be built making this the first church with a bell in the first years of the independent Greek State. The bell, a gift from Russia, rang in the first free Easter (1833) and on the arrival of King Otto (1834). It was also the first bell to signify the liberation of the city from the Germans in 1944. Today, it is still inside the church and rings every year on March 25 for symbolic purposes on the anniversary of the Greek Revolution. Until the maintenance works held from 1979 to 1980, the dome of the church was coated with plaster and lead sheets. Inside the church, there is also an inscription carrying the name of a member of the Ragavas family, who was quite possibly the owner of the church. 

Info

• Address: Tripodon St.

Bibliography