CHURCH OF ST. NICHOLAS ORPHANOS

The history of this church is still unknown today. It is thought to have been built in the 14th century, attached to the Vlattades monastery in the 17th century and was never occupied by the Turks, unlike the other churches in the city. Saint Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos) was also the protector of orphaned children. According to local tradition, the existence of an orphanage inside the monastery was the origin of this name.

Inside, we can see the capitals of the columns which have kept their colours as well as the balustrade surrounding the choir, which remained intact. The frescoes in this small church are particularly impressive. Having never been transformed into a mosque, a large part of its painted decorations have remained unchanged.

The paintings are organized into registers. The lower register represents a large number of saints and the upper registers show many scenes symbolizing the twelve great feasts and miracles. The characters in the various paintings mix with each other despite the red edges that frame the festive scenes. The colours are bright and splendid, the contours of the faces are very soft.