PANAGHIA EKATONTAPYLIANI
Basilica among the important Byzantine monuments housing a chapel and a museum.
It is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in the Orthodox world and one of the most important Byzantine monuments in Greece. The "Church of the Hundred Gates" was founded by Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century and completed over the centuries. According to legend, only 99 gates have been recorded, and it is only when Istanbul returns to Greece that the hundredth one will be found.
The early Christian complex consists of a cross-shaped basilica dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin, a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas and an absolutely magnificent baptistery (access through the Byzantine museum, entrance fee payable). The basilica as we admire it today dates back to the reign of Justinian in the 6th century. Originally, the interiors of the basilica were covered with rich ornaments, partly gifts from the imperial throne. Today, the marbles of the medals in the central nave, those decorating the top of the iconostasis and the reconstructed ciborium above the altar can still be admired. Fragments of marble high reliefs are on display in the baptistery, which also houses superb original baptismal fonts (4th century).
In the Agios Nikolaos Chapel, admire the fragment of mosaic fresco that still adorns the south wall. The oldest ones are unique testimonies of the art of painting in the early Christian period.
The museum preserves icons, most of which date from the 17th century, and gives access to the baptistery and the upper gallery of the basilica.
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Un intérieur en marbre de l'^le qui ne laisse pas indifférent.