Religious monuments of Old Xanthi
The route is about 2 km long, lasts about 80 minutes and is of low difficulty. In it, the visitor will have the opportunity to tour the most important religious monuments of old Xanthi. From the Sunne mosque to the chapel of Agioi Theodoroi you will find a reasonable number of Christian churches and chapels, mosques and the Catholic church that testify to the religious identity of the inhabitants and at the same time highlight the multicultural and multireligious character that the city of Xanthi had and still has today.

Their position in the urban fabric of the city highlights the importance of their character (with the layout of secular buildings around them), the need of residents for religious expression and their timeless peaceful coexistence.

Of interest are both their architectural configuration and their interior decoration with icons, frescoes, wood carvings on the iconostasis in Christian churches and tiles with plant decoration in the mihrab of mosques.

06. Mitropoleos Square

Brief documentation:

Mitropoleos Square was created during the 19th century and since then it has been the center of the traditional settlement. It may have existed before the two catastrophic earthquakes of 1829 or have been the center of the city since the Byzantine years. For many years, however, it functioned as the main public space of the city. In 2015, the square underwent renovation works by the Municipality of Xanthi, which turned it back into an elegant free public space, as until then it had become an informal car park.
Mitropoleos Square is paved with stone slabs and is surrounded by benches, planters and columns.
At least since the last quarter of the 19th century it has been the center of the Greek Orthodox Community of the city, as community schools were built around it, namely the Matsinis Urban School and the Girls' School, the Metropolitan Mansion and the Metropolitan Church of Timios Prodomos, from which it took its name, and the building that served as a residence and as a Greek consulate (today owned by the Metropolis).
Of the two educational buildings that operated for years, only the Primary School is preserved today, since the Gymnasium was demolished in 1973.
Mitropoleos Square is the center of the celebrations of the Old Xanthi Festivals, as here lies the platform where all concerts and main events take place. The festivals take place every year in late August-early September and last one week.


Category of thematic interest:  ARCHITECTURAL/HISTORICAL AND RELIGIOUS INTEREST


History:

Mitropoleos Square was created during the 19th century and since then it has been the center of the traditional settlement. It may have existed before the two catastrophic earthquakes of 1829 or was the center of the city since the Byzantine years. For many years, however, it functioned as the main public space of the city. In 2015, the square underwent renovation works by the Municipality of Xanthi, which turned it back into an elegant free public space, as until then it had become an informal car park.


Elements of architecture:

Mitropoleos Square, after the renovation works of 2015, is a free public space, paved with stone slabs, surrounded by benches, planters and bollards. It is the core, the most central point of the traditional settlement. From the last quarter of the 19th century it was the center of the Greek Orthodox Community of the city, as community schools were built around it, namely the Matsinis Urban School and the Girls' School, the Metropolitan Mansion and the Metropolitan Church of Timios Prodomos, from which it took its name, and the building that served as a residence and as a Greek consulate (today owned by the Metropolis).
Of the two educational buildings that operated for the year, only the Primary School is preserved today, since the Gymnasium was demolished in 1973.


Description of other elements:

Mitropoleos Square is the center of the celebration of the Old Xanthi Festivals, as here lies the platform where all concerts and main events take place. The festivals take place every year in late August-early September and last one week.


Purpose - Use: Public space


Characterization: ΦΕΚ 612Β/30-4-1976 και ΦΕΚ 661/Β/17-5-1976, ΦΕΚ 1097 Δ/14.12-1995


Dating (period): 19th century


Year of construction: 19th century


Monument location: 41.144269197977465, 24.88783834716237


Bibliographic references:

•    Mavridis, D., eds. 2008. Xanthi, the city with a thousand colors. Xanthi: PAKETHRA.


 Address: Mitropoleos Square


Visitable: Yes


 

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