The Elders’ council of Xanthi and its representatives
The route is about 2 km long, lasts about 60 minutes and is of moderate difficulty. It starts from the district of Agios Vlasios and ends at the district of Akathist Hymn. In it, the visitor will have the opportunity to learn through the buildings about the Greek Orthodox community, the Elders of Xanthi, the most important elders, as well as about buildings related to the activity of the community.

The Elders’ council was the administrative system of the Greek Orthodox community during the Ottoman Empire. The elders, otherwise known as provosts or kodjabashis, were unpaid or salaried representatives, elected by Christians with the approval of the Ottomans. On the one hand, they facilitated the administration and collection of taxes on behalf of the Ottomans and, on the other, they administered the community, took care of its schools, managed the revenues of churches, monasteries and community property, resolved court issues and imposed penitentiary penalties. President of the Elders’ council was the Metropolitan of Xanthi and Peritheoriou. Active metropolitans were Eugenios (1792-1848) and Ioakeim Sgouros (1864-1912). In Xanthi, the Elders met at the Church of Timios Prodromos and later at the Metropolitan Mansion. The schools of the Elders’ council consisted of the Stalios Kindergarten, the Matsinis School, while a school also operated in the courtyard of Agios Vlasios. Well-known names who served as Elders are Michaloglou, Valixoglou, Karabetsis, Chasirtzoglou, Stalios, Sigalas, Matsinis, Velios, Ladas, Stavropoulos etc. Many of them served as ecclesiastical commissioners in the various churches of the city, as curators/teachers of schools, while their benefactions and donations to the Greek Orthodox community of Xanthi were important.

69. Chapel of the Ascension of the Savior

Brief documentation:

The Chapel of the Ascension of the Savior is located in Mitropoleos Square, in the center of the old Xanthi, at 16 Antika Street. Essentially, the chapel is embedded in the courtyard of a building on Mitropoleos Square. In 1934 it was known by the name of Agia Messistria. Its construction is placed in the last years of the 19th century, during the pastorate of Joachim Sgouros.
The chapel is a simple, one-room building with a three-pitched roof, with its entrance into the courtyard. It has arched openings on the north side only, as the south one is adjacent to the adjacent building and the west wall has no opening since it faces the road. The entrance door is located on the north side, and after that three more windows are opened.
The building, in the courtyard of which the chapel is located, was built in the period 1890-1910 as the residence of the Photiades family, while today it belongs to the Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, after a donation. During Ottoman rule, the building served, for short periods, as the headquarters of the Greek Consulate. Today, it operates, downstairs, as a Social Clinic and Pharmacy and upstairs, as a School of Byzantine Music.


Category of thematic interest:  ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST


History:

The Chapel of the Ascension of the Savior is located in Mitropoleos Square, in the center of the old Xanthi, at 16 Antika Street. Essentially, the chapel is embedded in the courtyard of a building on Mitropoleos Square. In 1934 it was known by the name of Agia Messistria. Its construction is placed in the last years of the 19th century, during the pastorate of Joachim Sgouros.


Elements of architecture:

The chapel is a simple, one-room building with a three-pitched roof, with its entrance into the courtyard. It has arched openings on the north side only, as the south one is adjacent to the adjacent building and the west wall has no opening since it faces the road. The entrance door is located on the north side, and after that three more windows are opened.


Description of other elements:

The building, in the courtyard of which it is located, was built in the period 1890-1910 as the house of the Fotiadis family, while today it belongs to the Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, after a donation. During Ottoman rule, the building served, for short periods, as the headquarters of the Greek Consulate. Today, it operates, downstairs, as a Social Clinic and Pharmacy and upstairs, as a School of Byzantine Music.


Purpose - Use: Church building


Characterization: Preservable, Institution of the Ministry of Culture, Decision DILAP/C/11/63051, Government Gazette 73/86


Dating (period): Late 19th century


Year of construction: Late 19th century


Location of the monument: 41.14408300663538, 24.887780991409993


Bibliographic references:

•    "Churches, Monasteries and Chapels of the Old Town", Thomas Exarchou, Old Town Celebrations, 2000
•    "The Churches of Old Xanthi", Georgios Tsigaras, Municipal Development Enterprise of Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, 2008


 Address: Antikas 16


Visitable: No

 

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