46. Metropolitan Church of Timios Prodromos
Brief documentation:
The Church of Timios Prodromos is located in Mitropoleos Square, in the core of the homonymous district and celebrates on August 29, in memory of the Decapitation of Timios Prodromos and Baptist John, patron saint of the city. It was erected in 1839 according to information we derive from the two relief inscriptions located on the west and east walls of the church.
Its construction probably took place on the ruins of an earlier church of the Byzantine period, which was destroyed in 1809 by fire and in 1829 by the earthquakes that hit the city. This earlier church functioned as a Metropolitan church as early as the 16th century, according to references found in codices of that time kept in the British Museum.
Today's three-aisled church has been built according to the standards of the three-aisled basilica. The central aisle is dedicated to the Nativity of Timios Prodromos, the north to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, while the south to the new martyr Agios Georgios of Ioannina.
The roof of the church is gabled, made of wood and tile, while on its east and west side there are pedimented endings, which draw influences from the standards of neoclassicism. The narthex of the church and the bell tower were built at a later stage, in 1924.
On the iconostasis of the church and on the shrines there are icons, which have been painted by the Mount Athos hagiographer Ioasaf and the Thassian hagiographer Michael Evangelidis. The icon of the new martyr Saint George of Ioannina is evidence of the presence of Epirotes in the city and was the work of the painter Philip in 1863.
On the south wall of the church there is a marble funerary inscription and the tomb of Metropolitan Evgenios, with various relief designs, a hierarchical rod, a mitre, a dicerotricera, a small omophorion and a holy chalice, all emblems of the episcopal office.
Category of thematic interest: ARCHITECTURAL/HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS INTEREST
History:
The Church of Timios Prodromos is located in Mitropoleos Square, in the core of the homonymous district, which during the Ottoman period was the center of the Greek Orthodox Community of the city. It was rebuilt in 1839, as we are informed by the two relief inscriptions found on the west and east walls of the church. Its construction probably took place on the ruins of an earlier church of the Byzantine period, which was destroyed during the year 1809 by fire. The church functioned as a Metropolitan church as early as the 16th century, according to references found in codices of that time kept in the British Museum.
Elements of architecture:
It is a three-aisled basilica and a three-aisled church. The central aisle is dedicated to the Nativity of Timios Prodromos, the one located on the north side of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, while the one located on the south to the new martyr Agios Georgios of Ioannina. The roof of the church is gabled and is made of wood and tile. On its eastern and western sides there are pedimented endings, which draw influences from the standards of neoclassicism. In the sanctuary of the church there is a large semicircular niche, while the narthex has been built at a later stage. The bell tower is located on the southwest side of the church, was built during the year 1924 and bears decorative elements according to neoclassical standards.
Description of other elements:
The iconostasis of the church includes several icons, the most notable of which are those created in 1842 by the Mount Athos hagiographer Ioasaf, as well as the one depicting the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles and was dedicated to the church in 1857 by the noble Konstantinos Gregorios Matsinis.
The icon of the new martyr Saint George of Ioannina is evidence, apart from spreading the honor of a new and popular saint in Xanthi, the presence of Epirotes in the city. Interestingly, the rendering of the young saint is reminiscent of King Otto. The icon is the work of the painter Philip and was painted in 1863.
Of particular interest is the icon of the Infant Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, which is located in the Holy Bema and dates back to the late 19th century or early 20th century.
In addition, in the shrines of the church there are two icons created by the Thassian hagiographer Michael Evangelidis in the early 20th century. In the north aisle of the church, fragments of frescoes dating back to the late 19th century or early 20th century have been found.
On the south wall of the church there is a marble funerary inscription and the tomb of Metropolitan Evgenios. Of interest are the relief designs, the hierarchical rod, the mitre, the dicerotricera, the small omophorion and the holy chalice, all emblems of the episcopal office.
Purpose - Use: Church building
Characterization: Automatically protected, Competent Service: EFA of Xanthi
Dating (period):Third decade of the 19th century
Year of construction: 1839
Location of the monument: 41.14436414781335, 24.888194359694253
Bibliographic references:
• Georgios Tsigaras, The churches of old Xanthi, Municipal Development Enterprise of Xanthi (DEAX) – PAKETHRA, Xanthi 2008
• Religious Monuments of the Region of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Region of Eastern Macedonia – Thrace, Alexandroupolis 2008
• Xanthi, The city with a thousand colors (Dimitris Mavridis, ed.), Municipality of Xanthi – P.A.KE.THRA., Xanthi 2007
Address: Antikas 16, Mitropoleos Square
Visitable: Yes