PAROS
Religion

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Religion

Religious buildings and festivals on Paros

The most important annual religious festival on Paros is that of the Assumption of Virgin Mary on 15 August. Pilgrims from all over Greece come to Paros to pray at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the Church of One Hundred Doors (Ekatontapyliani). Thousands of people follow a route together with bishops, priests, bands and civil dignitaries, which ends at the Ekatontapyliani Church where blessings are given.

On 6 January every year, the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is celebrated. Rivers, lakes and seas throughout the country are blessed by the immersion of a cross in water. In many ports, including Parikia and Naoussa, a cross is thrown into the sea and young men dive into the water to retrieve it.

ANGERIA

-Agii Theodori: monestary.

ANTIPAROS (island)

-Agios Nikolaos: 17th century church.

-Agios Evangelismos: 17th century church.

-Agios Ioannis Spiliotis: church from 1774 at the entrance to the famous cave.

LEFKES

-Agia Triada: Neo-Renaissance church from 1835 with two bell towers made of finely crafted Paros marble and a marble interior. With special, rare Byzantine icons.

-Agion Theodoron: monastery fortified as a fortress.

-Agia Varvara: 17th century church dedicated to Saint Barbara.

-Agios Sotiris: 17th century church dedicated to Saint Barbara..

-Agios Ioannis Kaparou: 16th century monastery.

MARATHI

-Agios Minos: 17th century fortified monastery.

MARMARA

-Agia Savas: Church built in 1608 with a beautiful bell tower.

-Pera Panagia: 17th century church, beautiful example of Aegean church architecture.

-Moni Pantocrator: Monastery with an iconostasis with beautiful carvings and murals from the 17th century.

MARPISSA

-Moni Agiou Antoniou: 16th century monastery built on the remains of a 14th century Frankish church.

-Moni Metamorfosis: monastery.

-Agios Ioannis Prodromos: monastery.

NAOUSSA

-Panagia Parnassa: church.

-Agios Ioannis Theologos: Church from 1629 with murals from 1784.

-Agios Athanasois: ,onastery.

-Agios Georgios: monastery.

-Agios Nikolaos Mostratos: Parish church with small Byzantine museum.

PARIKIA

-Panagia Ekatontapiliani or 'Church of the Hundred Doors': important three-building Byzantine church, the oldest Greek church in continuous use; officially Church of the Assumption. Iconostasis with silver icons from the 18th century and baptismal font from the 4th century.

-Agios Nikolaos-Chapel: with an 11th century baptistery and 17th century iconostasis; bells hang in a tree.

-Agia Eleni kai Agios Konstantinos: 18th century church with a blue dome.

-Tris Ekklisies: remains of three 17th century churches.

-Moni Longovardas: 17th century monastery, only accessible to men wearing long trousers. Monastery church decorated with murals from the end of the 18th century.

-Panagia Septemvriani: Built in 1592, it is one of the oldest churches in the city.

-Agios Konstantinos and Agios Evangelistrias: Double church with nearby remains of Athenian temple from c. 525 BC

-Agia Anna: 17th century marble chapel.

PETALOUDES

-Moni Christou tou Dasous of Agios Arsenios: 18th century nunnery "Christ of the Woods". Here is the grave of Saint Arsenios (1800-1877), the patron saint of Paros.

PRODROMOS

-Agios Ioannis Prodromos: Cathedral from the 17th century with old icons and wooden iconostasis.

Mythological Paros

According to Greek mythology, the Cretan Alkaios was the first king of Paros and he founded a city on the present site of Parikia.

Pareia was a Naiade water nymph (guardian of springs, fountains, rivers, streams etc.) of the main city on Paros. She had a love affair with King Minos of Crete, and gave him four sons, Eurymedon, Nephalion, Chryses and Philolaus. Two men of the hero Heracles stepped ashore on Paros and were killed by the sons of Pareia and Minos. Heracles flew into a rage and killed the four brothers.

Sources