Protaton Church

  It is a three-aisle basilica, with its central aisle on a higher level and an external gallery along the northern side. The tall rectangular bell-tower is built a few meters away from the north-east corner of the church. The marble iconostasis of the church is still in its place, as well as the portable icons painted by Theophanes, in the mid-16th century, along with the the miraculous icon of the Virgin "Axion Esti".
  The monument, which in its earliest form is dated to the 10th century, has been decorated with frescoes by the main representative of the so-called Macedonian School, Manuel Panselinos.
  Apart from the historic elements of the monument, the frescoes which cover practically every wall of the church , are undoubtedly the most brilliant example of the Paleologean Art, around 1300, whose colours, forms and sentiments have found their best expression in the hands of the most worthy master of the period.
  The restoration of the monument was carried out by the Archaeological Service during the '50s and '60s, while recently the 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities completed the conservation of the wall paintings.
  The church is in use for the daily worship of the monks who live in Karyes for more than ten centuries, and it is also used for all the official ceremonies of the Holy Community.