Panagia Kontariotissa
| Panagia Kontariotissa | |
|---|---|
| Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary | |
Παναγία Κονταριώτισσα | |
The former church | |
Location of the former church in Greece | |
Panagia Kontariotissa | |
| 40°13′47″N 22°27′12″E / 40.229722°N 22.453333°E | |
| Location | Pieria, Central Macedonia |
| Country | Greece |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox (former) |
| History | |
| Status |
|
| Dedication | Dormition of the Virgin Mary |
| Events | August 15 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status |
|
| Style | Byzantine |
| Completed | c. 7th – c. 11th centuries |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Materials | Stone |
| Administration | |
| Province | Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople |
| Metropolis | Kitros, Katerini and Platamon |
The Panagia Kontariotissa (Greek: Παναγία Κονταριώτισσα), also spelled as the Panagia Kountouriotissa (Παναγία Κουντουριώτισσα), and officially the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Ιερός Ναός Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου), is a former Greek Orthodox church, located in the Pieria region of Central Macedonia, Greece. Completed in the c. 7th – c. 11th centuries, during the Byzantine era, the well-preserved monument has subsequently been repurposed for cultural use. The monument is located on a hill on the northwestern outskirts of the village Kontariotissa, approximately 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) southwest of Katerini on the slopes of Mount Olympus. Nearby is the Monastery of Saint Ephraim the Syrian.[1]
The name "Kontariotissa" refers to the name of the modern community that originated near the former church.[2]
Use as a church
Judging by the morphology of the building, it was built at the time of the Byzantine Iconoclasm or earlier.[3] The construction is dated from the 7th century, structural changes took place in the 11th century[4] and in the 15th century the building was restored. Parts of the exterior wall show various styles of stonework. The construction of the church is said to be related to the simultaneous destruction and abandonment of ancient Dion.[3]
The building has a cylindrical dome supported by four round pillars and has a chapel in the north and south. The apse, delimited by a carved wooden iconostasis, in the eastern part of the church, is bounded by a three-part window. Apse, dome and parts of the walls are decorated with murals. Nothing is left of the original decor, the visible frescoes date back to the 15th century. Some of the terracotta floor tiles are labeled "Dion". The early parts of the structure are similar to the basilica of Agia Sophia in Thessaloniki.[5] Similar features were found in other Greek churches of the 8th and 9th centuries. Possibly the church was used as a monastery church (katholikon).
Gallery
-
Terracotta tile with inscription "Dion"
-
Close view
-
Choir at the former church during the Olympus Festival
-
Mural inside the former church
See also
- Church of Greece
- List of Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Greece
- List of monasteries and churches at Mount Olympus
References
- ^ Sanidopoulos, John (January 28, 2016). "The only Orthodox monastery in World Dedicated to Saint Ephraim the Syrian". Orthodox Christianity: Then and Now. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ^ "Kontariotissa". Greece.com.
- ^ a b Mentzos, Aristotle (2001). Burke, John; Scott, Roger (eds.). Byzantine Macedonia, Art Architecture Music Hagiography. Melbourne. pp. 9–10. ISBN 1-864465--49-2.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary - Panagia Kontariotissa". ExperiencePieria.info. n.d. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ^ "Churches in Thessaloniki". thessaloniki-guide.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
Sources
- Doulgkeri, Efi (Archaeologist). BΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΝΑΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑΣ ΚΟΥΝΤΟΥΡΙΩΤΙΣΣΗΣ - ΚΟΝΤΟΥΡΙΩΤΙΣΣΗΣ (in Greek). Katerini, Greece: Ephorate, Department Byzantine Monuments. p. 27.
- Μέντζος, Α. (1985). "Η Πιερία στα Βυζαντινά και Νεώτερα χρόνια 1". Η εκκλησιαστική αρχιτεκτονική της Πιερίας στην πρώϊμη βυζαντινή περίοδο (in Greek). Θεσσαλονίκη: Επιστημονικό Συνέδριο. p. 160-161.
Further reading
- Glykatzi, Helen (December 2000). The Splendour of Orthodoxy: 2000 years history, monuments, art. Vol. 2. Ekdotike Athenon. ISBN 960-213-399-6.
- Velmans, Tania, ed. (2002). Ikonoklasmus: Ikonen: Ursprung und Bedeutung (in German). Stuttgart: Belser. ISBN 3-7630-2405-0.
- Curcic, S. (2010). Architecture in the Balkans. From Diocletian to Suleyman the Magnificent. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300115703.
External links
Media related to Church of Panagia Kondariotissa at Wikimedia Commons