Thassos Island - Churches and Monasteries
The church of Maries
This church is located in the village Maries , south-eastern of Limenas. It is dedicated to the archangels and is one of the oldest churches of Thassos . Superb handmade decorations made by monks are adorning the church. Also worth visiting in Maries is the Monastery of Panagoudas .
The church of Agios Athanassios
The church of Saint Athanassios is enclosed within the walls of Kastro , a traditional settlement located in the central part of Thassos, near the village of Maries .According to an inscription, this church is dated to January 1804 . The stones used for the contruction of the chrurch have been taken from the ruins of an old castle. It is a three-aisled basilica with a woodden roof and an arched arcade. It is a typical example of the local ecclesiastic architeture. On the 18 th of January the church celebrates the feast of Saint Athanassios and welcomes many pilgrims from all over the island.
The church of Panagia
This church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary ("Panagia" in Greek) and is located in the village Panaghia . It was built in 1845 and is directly linked to the social and economical life of the village which goes its name from this church. The first church of Panagia was built during the 18 th century, when the village was founded. But due to the increasing of the population of the village around 1780, the need for a bigger church started to flourish. The construction of the actual church started in 1831; because the funds were not sufficient to complete the church, the inhabitants of the village asked the help of Agion Oros. The church is a basilica with a high and octagonal dome, with three aisles with semi circular domes. The temple is wood carved, decorated by craftsmen from Volos and has five entrances. The church possesses architectural characteristics of the Byzantine churches of Kastoria (mainland Greece ). It's walls are built with marble slabs coming from the ruins of ancient temples. An icon dating from 1814 and representing the Virgin Mary can be seen in the church.
The basilicas at Alyki
Those ruined basilicas were built during the 5 th century and it is believed that they were abandoned during the 7 th century . They had three aisles which were separated by Ionian columns and decorated with representations of animals.
Vatopediou Monastery
This monastery is two-storied and is the trademark of Limenas , capital of Tahssos. It is standing in the middle of the dock and was built during the 19 th century .
