05.02.2006
Armenian church of Panaghia, Xanthi

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

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Location: The church is located in Chatzistavrou Str.

The Church: The first Armenian church of Xanthi was temporarily housed (after 1922) in Mrokoumi Str, in a tobacco warehouse, granted by Takvor Takvorian, an Armenian merchant. The Armenians raised money in order to buy the plot that now houses the church, which was erected in 1926, with the financial support of Charoutioun Pasmatzian, an Armenian dentist who came in Xanthi as a refugee from Adrianople in 1922. The decoration of the iconostasis with portable icons has been commissioned by Charoutioun Pasmatzian.
The church is a single-aisled, rectangular building containing a sanctuary with its elliptical apse and the main nave. There are two auxiliary rooms attached to the edge of the eastern side of the rectangle, connected with the Sanctuary apse in order to serve the liturgical needs of the church.
The bell tower is situated in the northeastern side of the church; Armenian refugees brought the bell from Tsegiler to Xanthi.
There are some interesting icons on the Sanctuary depicting Theotokos Vrefokratousa sitting on a throne, St. Jacob, and the Good Shepherd made by Armenians. There are also interesting portable icons on the sidewalls of the church.
Ohter interesting relics of the church are: the blessing cross (March 25th, 1927), the ripidia decorated in relief with the figures of Timios Prodromos and one seraphim (1926), as well as two Gospels from an Armenian printing-house in Constantinople dating back to 1796.
Âéâëéïãñáößá: É. Ê. ×ÁÓÉÙÔÇÓ – Ã. ÊÁÓÁÐÉÁÍ, Ç áñìåíéêÞ ðáñïéêßá ôçò Èåóóáëïíßêçò: ºäñõóç, ïñãÜíùóç, éäåïëïãßá êáé êïéíùíéêÞ åíóùìÜôùóç, óôï: Ç Èåóóáëïíßêç ìåôÜ ôï 1912, ÐñáêôéêÜ Óõìðïóßïõ, Èåóóáëïíßêç 1986• ÓÔ. ÉÙÁÍÍÉÄÇÓ, ¸íáò Åðáããåëìáôéêüò Ïäçãüò ôïõ 1910-1911. ÅðáããÝëìáôá êáé åðáããåëìáôßåò ôçò ÎÜíèçò, ÈñáêéêÜ ×ñïíéêÜ 32 (1975-1976)• È. ÅÎÁÑ×ÏÕ, Ïé Åâñáßïé óôçí ÎÜíèç (Ï êüóìïò ðïõ ÷Üèçêå áëëÜ äåí îå÷Üóôçêå), ÎÜíèç 2001• È. Ó. ÌÁÍÔÏÐÏÕËÏÕ-ÐÁÍÁÃÉÙÔÏÐÏÕËÏÕ, ÈñçóêåõôéêÞ áñ÷éôåêôïíéêÞ óôç Èåóóáëïíßêç êáôÜ ôçí ôåëåõôáßá öÜóç ôçò ôïõñêïêñáôßáò (1839-1912), ÄéäáêôïñéêÞ äéáôñéâÞ, Èåóóáëïíßêç 1989• È. Ó. ÌÁÍÔÏÐÏÕËÏÕ-ÐÁÍÁÃÉÙÔÏÐÏÕËÏÕ, Ï Áñìåíéêüò íáüò ôçò Ðáíáãßáò óôç Èåóóáëïíßêç. ¸íá åíäéáöÝñïí äåßãìá ôçò åêëåêôéêéóôéêÞò áñ÷éôåêôïíéêÞò ôçò ðüëçò, ÈåóóáëïíéêÝùí Ðüëéò 7 (ÌÜñôéïò 2002)• ×. ×ÁÔÆÉÄÇÓ, Ï Áñìåíéêüò Íáüò, óôï: ÈñçóêåõôéêÜ Ìíçìåßá óôï Íïìü ÎÜíèçò, åðéìÝëåéá: Ãåþñãéïò ×ñ. ÔóéãÜñáò, ÎÜíèç 2005.