Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Places of worship for destination: "SERRES Town MAKEDONIA CENTRAL".
Three-aisled wooden-roofed
basilica with a narthex. Its architectural type presents many archaic features.
The holy bema was decorated with mosaics of which is preserved only a representation
of Apostle Andrew (now in the Archaeological Museum of Serres).
The church is dated to the 11th century and was probably built at
the site of an Early Christian basilica. Additions were made in the 12th and 13th
centuries.
It was renovated several times: in 1430 by metropolitan Philip, in
1602 by metropolitan Theophanes, in 1700 by metropolitan Anthimos, in 1725 by
metropolitan Stephen, in 1735 by metropolitan Gabriel, in 1751 by metropolitan
Ioannikios, in 1835 and 1842. It was destroyed by fire twice, in 1849 and in 1913.
Today the church functions again.
In the center of the old town and below street level, there is the
brilliant old cathedral of St. Theodore's, a big rectangular Royal (Bassilica).
It was first founded during the palaiochristian era. According to another tradition,
it was built on the remains of an ancient church. The cathedral was built in 1224
AD by the Sovereign Ruler of Epirus, Theodore Angel Komninos in memory of the
glorious victory against the Franks, just outside the city.
The first reference to the Old Cathedral was made in a golden bull
of Adronikos the Senior in 1321 AD. It is described in detail by the orator Theodore
Pediasimos, a native of Serres, in his brilliant essay "expressions about the
sanctum of Feres (i.e. Serres)" (14th century). At the northwest side there is
a burial chapel, probably built in 1364 for Patriarch Kallistos. A plinth sign
on the southern side of the church wall states the following: "ΕΝ ΕΤΕΙ ΕΨΚΕ +
Ο ΤΑΠΕΙΝΟΣ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ ΣΕΡΡΩΝ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ Ο ΚΤΙΤΩΡ", testifying that the wall was
demolished and rebuilt in 1725.
St. Theodores' church is well-known for its mosaics, from which after
the fire of 1913 the only one that was rescued was the one that shows Apostle
Andreas and the hands of Apostle Loukas. In the apse is a huge mosaic of the Last
Supper, still splendid in its decay. This historical church has been repaired
and renovated during the years, which has resulted in a slight transformation
of its original shape. During the great fire of 1913 the church got almost completely
burned. It was restored recently under the watchful eye of the Archaeological
Authorities and church services are now held there.
This text is cited Jan 2004 from the University of Patras' The ARCADIA website URL below, which contains images.
At the N.E. end of the castle there is the exquisite Byzantine church of St Nikolaos, which was restored and renewed in 1937. Until 1926 many mural remnants and jewel remnants were kept in the inside of the church with the usual technique and topics of the Palaeologi period. In the east side of the church, under the bilobed window of the apse there is the entrance to a crypt, in which you can get to via a small staircase. This crypt served the purpose of a cemetery, in other words it was a place were the guards of the castle were buried after they were murdered or had died in it from a disease or any other cause. The cemetery character of the crypt of St. Nikolaos is reinforced by the few graves' remnants and people's bones that were found in it.
This text is cited Jan 2004 from the University of Patras' The ARCADIA website URL below, which contains image.
The most important monastery of the region of Serrhai was founded
in the 13th century in a gorge of Mount Menoikion,
not far from the city of Serrhai. It was laid out following the plan of most Athonite
monasteries, i.e. it had encircling walls to which other structures were later
added, a sturdy square tower, chapels, and a katholikon with 14th century wall-paintings.
As the spiritual centre of Hellenism in eastern Macedonia, during
the Balkan wars the monastery of Timios Prodromos (Saint John the Baptist) provoked
the fury of the Bulgarians, who took pains to strip it of its historic treasures.
Greek historical documents and in particular the monastic library were carried
off to Sofia in their entirety in 1912. The quest for these invaluable sources
of Macedonian history has since occupied, as it continues to occupy, much scholarly
research.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
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