St. Nicholas Church, Kavala
| Saint Nicholas' Church | |
|---|---|
Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου | |
The church in 2012 | |
Saint Nicholas' Church Location of the church in Greece | |
Saint Nicholas' Church | |
| 40°56′10″N 24°24′48″E / 40.93611°N 24.41333°E | |
| Location | Kavala, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace |
| Country | Greece |
| Language | Greek |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
| Previous denomination | Islam (1530–1920s) |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (Turkish: İbrahim Paşa Camii) |
| Status | |
| Dedication | Saint Nicholas |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type |
|
| Style | Ottoman |
| Completed | 1530 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Number of towers | 1: (formerly minaret; now bell-tower) |
| Materials | Brick; stone |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Philippi, Neapolis and Thasos |
The Church of Saint Nicholas (Greek: Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου) is a Greek Orthodox church in the town of Kavala, in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region of Greece. It was built during Ottoman period as a mosque, called the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (Turkish: İbrahim Paşa Camii), before it was converted into a church in modern times.[1]
History
The building was erected in 1530 during the Ottoman rule of Macedonia as an Islamic mosque, perhaps on the site of a pre-existing Christian church, by Ibrahim Pasha, vizier to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and it was the largest mosque in Kavala.[2]
In the 1920s the mosque was converted into a church for Christian worship, dedicated to Saint Nicholas; the bell-tower was built upon the base of the destroyed minaret.[3][4][5] On the eastern side of the church there is a mural depicting the arrival of Apostle Paul in the port.[2]
Gallery
-
Panoramic view of Kavala in 1913 from the customs house
-
The church with the mural
See also
- Islam in Greece
- List of former mosques in Greece
- Conversion of mosques into non-Islamic places of worship
- Ottoman Greece
References
- ^ Η Οθωμανική Αρχιτεκτονική στην Ελλάδα [The Ottoman Architecture in Greece] (in Greek). Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού (ΥΠ.ΠΟ.). 2008. p. 264. ISBN 978-960-214-792-4.
- ^ a b Βασίλης, Λωλίδης (August 17, 2017). Ανακαλύπτοντας την ιστορία της Καβάλας [Discovering the History of Kavala]. amna.gr (in Greek). ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Διαμαντής, Κομβόπουλος. Καβάλα - Φίλιπποι [Kavala-Philippi] (in Greek). Ιστοσελίδα Ξεναγού Κομβόπουλος Διαμαντής. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ Μυρίλλας, Δημητράς (December 19, 2010). Σινεμά, συνεργεία, τώρα πια διατηρητέα [Cinemas, workshops, are now preserved]. enet.gr (in Greek). Εφημερίδα Ελευθεροτυπία. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ Χρύσα, Μελκίδη (June 4, 2007). Καβάλα [Kavala]. xanthi.ilsp.gr (in Greek). Τουριστικός Οδηγός Περιφέρειας Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας και Θράκης. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
Further reading
- Lowry, Heath W. (2009). In the Footsteps of the Ottomans: A Search for Sacred Spaces & Architectural Monuments in Northern Greece. Istanbul: Mary Martin Booksellers / Bahçesehir University Publications. pp. 61–81. ISBN 9789756437865.
External links
Media related to Saint Nicholas Church, Kavala at Wikimedia Commons