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| My Favourite Planet > English > Europe > Greece > Northern Aegean > Samos > gallery |
| Samos, Greece |
Samos gallery |
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Kokkari, Samos. Gateway to the churchyard of Panagia Church and a street leading towards the sea. |
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The oldest church in Kokkari is the Panagia, officially known as Ekklisia Kimisi Theotokou (Ιερός Ναός Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου). Roughly translated, "Kimisis Tis Theotokou" means "falling-asleep" (or Dormition) "of the mother of God", the death of the Virgin Mary (in Greek, Παναγία, Panagia, "all holy"); known to Roman Catholics as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
In the Greek Orthodox Church this event, celebrated on 15th August, is Greece's most important public holiday after Easter, and more popular than Christmas. The holy day is usually celebrated with large public parties, music and dancing, particularly in villages.
The small church was built in 1819, shortly after Kokkari was founded by settlers from the village of Mytilinii (2.5 km northeast of Chora) on the ruins of a former settlement. It stands in a churchyard surrounded by a tall, thick wall, which suggests that the space was meant as a refuge in the event of attack on the village.
A tall arched gateway opens onto a narrow street leading to the harbour. To the right of the gateway is a simple belltower, on the top of which is what appears to be part of an older stone lintel or archtitrave decorated with two round heads and an inscription with the date June 1836 (see photo below). |
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The belltower of
the Panagia church. |
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The inscription on the belltower is dated June 1836. |
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The arched gateway, the old houses and the narrow street leading to the sea
is a scene which once typified the idyll of the Aegean islands, used in books,
magazines and tourism posters in the mid 20th century. If you took away the
telephone pole, cables, television aerial and modern no entry sign, you could
almost imagine you were in the Kokkari of the 1930s. |
Photos, maps and articles: © David John 2003-2019,
except where otherwise specified.
All photos and articles are copyright protected.
Images and materials by other authors
have been attributed where applicable.
Please do not use these photos or articles without permission.
If you are interested in using any of the photos for your website,
publication or project, please get in contact.
Higher resolution versions are available on request.
Some of the information and photos in this guide to Samos
originally appeared in 2003-2004 on davidjohnberlin.de.
My Favourite Planet makes great efforts to provide
comprehensive and accurate information across this website.
However, we can take no responsibility for inaccuracies or changes
made by providers of services mentioned on these pages. |
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George Alvanos
rooms in
Kavala's historic Panagia District
Anthemiou 35,
Kavala, Greece
kavalarooms.gr
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Olive Garden Restaurant
Kastellorizo,
Greece
+30 22460 49 109
kastellorizo.de
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Papoutsis
Travel Agency
Kastellorizo,
Greece
+30 22460 49 286
greeklodgings.gr
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