05.02.2006
Monastery of Pammegistoi Taxiarches, Xanthi

Georgios Tsigaras Source: C.E.T.I. © Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

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Location: It is located in the west of Xanthi, at an altitude of about 150 m.
History: The monastery controls the road to inner Rhodopi, the old road that leads to Philippoupolis and the monastery of Batskovo. A few remnants of the Sanctuary wall paintings date back to the Middle Byzantine period. The monastery suffered severe damages during the earthquakes of the year 1829. Ioakeim Sgouros, Metropolitan of Xanthi, made efforts in order to restore it in the early 19th century. After the Asia Minor Catastrophe and until 1936 the Monastery housed a male orphanage, providing relief to the orphans of the refugees. Currently, the monk monastery houses the Ecclesiastical School of Xanthi.
The Katholikon: It is a small-dimensioned triconch church. In the early 20th century, a narthex was added to the building of the Byzantine period. On the Sanctuary apse there are a few remnants of wall paintings depicting the co-officiating hierarchs that probably date back to the Middle Byzantine period. Some more wall paintings have been preserved on the pendentives and the cupola probably dating from the late 16th or the early 17th centuries. The Katholikon was probably erected in the mid or late 9th century.
ÂÉÂËÉÏÃÑÁÖÉÁ: Ó. ËÁÆÁÑÉÄÇÓ, Ôï êáèïëéêüí ôçò ÉåñÜò ÌïíÞò Ôáîéáñ÷þí ÎÜíèçò, ÈñáêéêÜ ×ñïíéêÜ 5 (1965)· Ê. Ä. ÓÖÁÅËËÏÓ, ÈñÜêç, ËáúêÞ Áñ÷éôåêôïíéêÞ-Ëáïãñáößá, ÈñáêéêÜ ×ñïíéêÜ 27 (1967)· Á. ÃÅÑÏÌÉ×ÁËÏÓ, Éùáêåßì Óãïõñüò, Ìçôñïðïëßôçò ÎÜíèçò êáé áé áðïöÜóåéò ôçò Äçìïãåñïíôßáò, Èåóóáëïíßêç 1968· Ð. Á. ÃÅÙÑÃÁÍÔÆÇÓ, ÓõìâïëÞ åéò ôçí éóôïñßáí ôçò ÎÜíèçò, ÎÜíèç 1976· Ö. ÔÑÉÁÑ×ÇÓ, Ç ÎÜíèç äéá ìÝóïõ ôùí áéþíùí, Áñ÷åßïí ÈñÜêçò 39 (1976)· Ó. ÊÏÊÊÉÍÇÓ, Ôá ìïíáóôÞñéá ôçò ÅëëÜäïò, Ïäçãüò-Éóôïñßá-Èçóáõñïß-Âéâëéïãñáößá, ÁèÞíá 1976· Ð. Á. ÃÅÙÑÃÁÍÔÆÇÓ, Ôá éåñÜ ÐñïóêõíÞìáôá ôçò ÎÜíèçò, ÎÜíèç 1980· N. K. MOÕÔÓÏÐÏÕËÏÓ, ¸íáò Âõæáíôéíüò Íáüò óôï ÊÜóôñï ôçò ÎÜíèçò, (Ðñüäñïìç Áíáêïßíùóç), Èåóóáëïíßêç 1995• Áñ÷éì. ÐÁÍÔÅËÅÇÌÙÍ ÌÏÕÔÁÖÇÓ, ÌïíÞ Ðáììåãßóôùí Ôáîéáñ÷þí ÎÜíèçò, óôï: ÈñçóêåõôéêÜ Ìíçìåßá óôï Íïìü ÎÜíèçò, åðéìÝëåéá: Ãåþñãéïò ×ñ. ÔóéãÜñáò, ÎÜíèç 2005.