PANAGHIA EKATONTAPYLIANI
Basilica among the important Byzantine monuments housing a chapel and a museum.
It is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Orthodox world and one of the most important Byzantine monuments in Greece. The "Church of a Hundred Gates" (Παναγία η Εκατονταπυλιανή) was founded by Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century, and added to over the centuries. According to legend, only 99 gates were ever recorded, and it was not until Istanbul was returned to Greece that the hundredth was found.
The palaeochristian complex comprises a cross-shaped basilica dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas and an absolutely magnificent baptistery (access via the Byzantine Museum, entrance fee payable). The basilica as we see it today dates back to the reign of Justinian in the 6th century. Originally, the basilica's interiors were covered with rich ornaments, some of which were gifts from the imperial throne. Today, we can still admire the marble medallions in the central nave, those adorning the top of the iconostasis and the reconstructed ciborium above the altar. Fragments of high marble reliefs are on display in the baptistery, which also houses some superb original baptismal fonts (4th century).
In the Agios Nikolaos chapel, admire the fragment of mosaic fresco still adorning the south wall. The oldest of these are unique testimonies to the art of painting in the early Christian period.
The museum preserves icons, most of which date from the 17th century, and provides access to the baptistery and upper gallery of the basilica.
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Un intérieur en marbre de l'^le qui ne laisse pas indifférent.