Jaap van 't Veen's photos
Greece - Arta, Panagia Parigoritissa
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The church of Panagia Parigoritissa, dedicated to the Annunciation, was built between 1285 and 1289 by the Epirus despot Nikiforos Komninos Doukas and his second wife Anna Palaiologina. It was formerly the katholion (= main church) of the largeStavropegian monastery. It became a dependence of the Kato Panaghia monastery, when it went bankrupt. The church is mentioned for the first time as a convent for nuns 1578.
Seen from outside the church is a large, almost cubic three-storey building, which looks like an Italian palace. It is of the octagonal type with a central dome and also four smaller domes on each corner of the church's flat roof.
The interior of the church is extremely elegant and lavishly decorated with wall paintings, sculptures (16th century) and an iconostasis, which replaced the original marble one. The nave is square and has no internal supports. The dome - adorned with mosaic depictions of the Pantocrator and the Prophets - rests on eight pilasters, on each of them stand three rows of smaller columns. This kind of architecture most probably has not been used to other Byzantine monuments. This makes the church very fascinating and quite unique.
Nowadays Panagia Parigoritissa is a (kind of) museum, where on has to pay a small entrance fee.
Greece - Church of Panagia Vlacherna
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The Byzantine Church of Panagia Vlacherna (Virgin Mary Church) is one of the most important Byzantine monuments of the medieval Epirus state. Initially it was dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The church was initially the catholicon of a women’s monastery. Nowadays it serves at the parish church of the settlement of Vlacherna.
The church is built atop a middle-byzantine era basilica (late 9th – early 10th century). The central arch of which consists as an arch of the current church. In the early 13th century the Vlacherna Church was built as three-aisled wooden roof basilica, which a few years later was transformed into the vaulted type with the addition of the domes. In the second half of the 13th century the narthex was added on the west side.
The nave has important frescoes from the mid 13th century, while the frescoes in the narthex are from the end of the same century. The marble relief iconostasis is of remarkable craftsmanship.
Greece - Kipi, Lazaridis Bridge
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The one-arch stone Lazaridis Bridge (also known as Kontodimos Bridge) was built in 1753 and named after Kostas Lazaridis, an owner of a mill, located near the bridge. Mr. Tolis Kontodimos from the nearby village of Vradeto donated for the construction of the bridge. The watermill was used by the people of Kipi, Koukouli, Kapesovo and Vradeto in order to grind the wheat.
The bridge is located in the gorge of the river Vikos near the village of Kipi and connects the village of Kipi with Koukouli. The arch is 15 meters wide and has a height of 7,80 meters. The walkway has a length of 20 meters and is 2,90 meters wide. The bridge is also known as the “Venice Bridge”.
Greece - Arta, Church of St. Theodora
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The church of St. Theodora - the patron saint of Arta - is an important Byzantine church. Originally it was the katholikon of a monastery, where Theodora, the wife of Despot of Epirus Michael II Komnenos Doukas (1236-1271), was buried.
The originally church was built - over the ruins of an older structure - in the 11th or 12th century as a three-aisled wooden-roofed basilica. This shape has remained almost unchanged till to this day. Around the year of 1270 Theodora renovated the church by adding the nartex and two pediments of the main church. The open colonnaded exonarthex was added in the lat 13th or early 14th century.
Nowadays the Church of St. Theodora is considered being one of Arta’s most important monuments, not only for its morphology but mainly because this church is like a living connection of the present city with its Byzantine past since it is dedicated to its queen, the city’s Saint Theodora.
Greece - Orraon
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Orraon (also Horraon or Horreum) was founded in the 4th century B.C. In 167 B.C. the settlement was destroyed by the Romans, but it was subsequently rebuilt and survived for a short period. In 37 B.C. the town had one hundred houses, twelve streets, and a graveyard. Orraon was abandoned by its people. Its inhabitants were forced to settle in Nikopolis , a nearby city founded by Augustus after his victory in the navel battle of Actium at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf.
In Orraon most of the houses are still standing, sometimes even two stories high and the street plan is still visible".The town had twelve narrow parallel streets, in the north and south direction, cross two wider streets. The settlement consisted of 100 houses, built of local limestone. The main parts that are visible today are the stone the houses were made of, window frames and door frames. The cistern (PiP5) was located near the main gate.
Orraon is located quite remote and during our visit there we were totally alone. It was very pleasant to walk around among these old houses, surrounded by a colourful landscape with lots of wild flowers.
Greece - Elliniko, Tsoukas Monastery
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The Tsoukas Monastery is built near the village of Elliniko on the in the area of Katsanochoria. It dominates at the top of a rocky hill, above the impressive gorge of the Arachthos river, at an altitude of about 900 meter (PiP5.)
The monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, was founded - according to local tradition - by the Emperor Isaac II Angelos in 1190, flourished during the Despotate of Epirus. However, its presence is confirmed during the period of the Ottoman domination, mostly by the date 1668 that is mentioned in a handwritten comment on the statute of the monastery.
It constitutes a monastic complex of fortress construction, that includes the two-storey buildings of the cells, a catholicon, a cistern, a belfry and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. In the center of the enclosure stands the catholicon. It is a little single-naved church probably of the 17th century. The interior of the catholicon is covered with 18th century frescoes.
During our visit on a Sunday morning, a church service was going on. As the small church can hardly accommodate any visitors, the service was also available for visitors to follow via loudspeakers. Afterwards, there was coffee and “loukoumia” for everyone; a special experience.
Greece - Ioannina, Saint Athanasios Metropolis Chu…
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At the location where the Cathedral of Saint Athansios nowadays is located, was a Monastery dedicated to Saint Athanasios the Great. After the failed movement of Dionysios the Philosopher in 1611 and the expulsion of christians from the castle of Ioannina, the church of Saint Athanasios replaced a cathedral inside the castle and became the third cathedral of Ioannina. However, in August 1820 the temple was destroyed by a large fire during the siege of Ali Pasha.
During the presidency of the Metropolitan of Ioannina Ioakeim, in 1832, and at the expense of benefactors, a bigger church was rebuilt from the ground up. The frescoes in the church date back, according to an inscription, to 1835. The ornate wood-carved iconostasis is "baroque", made of walnut wood, and is the work of four wood carvers from Gorgopotamos (Konitsa). The imposing tower-shaped bell tower was built in 1909.
Greece - Koukouli, Noutsos Bridge
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The Noutsos Bridge (Γεφύρι Νούτσο) - also called Kokkoros Bridge - is an impressive one-arched bridge located between the villages Koukouli, Dilofo and Kipi. The bridge spans the River Vikos at one of its impressive narrows. There is an inscription with the year of 1750 or 1752. The bridge was paid for by Mr. Noutsos Kontodimos and Mr. Noutsos Karamesinis. Mr. Kokkoros, owner of a nearby mill, donated a sum of money to correct the steep incline of the cobbled walkway in 1910.
The Noutsos Bridge is one of the best stone bridges in the area. It has an impressive arch spanning 24 meters and rising 11,60 meters above the river bed. The walkway has a length of 39 meters and is 2,50 meters wide.
The Noutsos Bridge, although very old, is still in good condition. In 1977, part of the cobbled path was destoyed by unknowns, but fortunately, the archaeological service repaired the damage and the historic bridge still stands there.
Greece - Ioannina, Nisi
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The islet on Lake Pamvotis nearby Ioannina is referred to as "Nisaki" (Νησάκι = Greek for "little island"). Inhabitants call it "Nisi" (Νησί = Greek for "lsland"). Nisi (or Nissi) is a small island - 800 by 500 meters - in Lake Pamvotis. It is one of the two lake islands in Greece, which are inhabited. There is only one village - with a couple of hundreds of inhabitants - on the island which with picturesque paved alleys and a lot of tourist shops and restaurants.
Nisi is well known for the Ali Pasha Museum and its monasteries. The first one was built at the end of the 13th century and the island was important monastic center.
The island is accessible by boat from Ioannina (about 10 minute-ride each way) or by a ferry from a nearby shore.
Greece - Ioannina, Fethiye Mosque
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The Fethiye Mosque is located in Its Kale , the inner castle in the walled city of ancient Ioannina. It was built immediately after the conquest by the Ottomans in 1430, near the ruins of an early 13th-century Byzantine church. Originally it was a wooden structure, which was replaced in 1611 by a stone building.
The mosque was extensively remodeled in 1795 by Ali Pasha, an Albanian born cruel despot, who made it the main mosque of his palace. The tomb of Ali Pasha and his family is located before the mosque, protected by a solid metal fence.
The mosque has a square plan, with a minaret at the western corner. The prayer hall, covered with a hemispherical dome, has a wooden balcony supported on stone columns. Interior decoration is preserved and the mihrab is particularly striking.
Nowadays the mosque is part of the Byzantine Museum and can be visited.
Greece - Monastery of Panagia Molyvdoskepastos
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The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates.
The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons.
After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood.
From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse. It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.
Greece - Ioannina
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The region of Ioannina has been popoulated by Greeks since the Mycenaean era. However the city of Ioannina - often called Yannena - was formally founded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD.
Ioannina flourished following the Fourth Crusade, when many wealthy Byzantine families fled to the city in the early 13th century following the sack of Constantinople. It was part of the Despotate of Epirus from 1358 to 1416, before surrendering to the Ottomans in 1430. Between 1430 and 1868 the city was the administrative center of the Pashalik of Yanina. In the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was a major center of the modern Greek Enlightenment. Ioannina became again part of Greece in 1913 following the Balkan Wars.
The City has a longstanding tradition in commerce and handicraft activities dating back in the 17th century, where merchants from Ioannina traded with important European commercial centers, such as Venice and Livorno, and established commercial and banking houses. During the 18th century, every author of the Greek world, was either from Ioannina or was a graduate of one of the city's schools, and the city created the reputation of being number one City in education.
Ioannina is situated on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis. Nowadays it is the capital and largest city of the region of Epirus with a population of more than 100.000 people. The city has a wealth of attractions and museums with most attractions. The main sight is the “castle” located in the center of the town, this was the heart of the Despotate of Epirus, and the Ottoman vilayet. The (historic) centre of Ioannina offers small traditional shops and houses, and many souvenir shops.
Greece - Kipi, Plakidas Bridge
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The Plakidas Bridge (Γεφύρι Πλακίδα) is crossing the Voidomatis River close to the village of Kipi on a site belonging to the village of Koukouli. The stone bridge has three semi-circular arches. The central arch has a span of 13,50 meters and a height of 7,60 meters. The bridge is 64 meters long and 3,20 meters wide.
Plakidas Bridge retained its original triple-arched form despite being almost completely reconstructed over the years.
The first bridge on this location was wooden and built in 1814. A short time later, but unknown when, an abbot from the nearby monastery in Vitsa paid 20.000 “piaster” for the bridge to be rebuilt in stone. The monastery of Profitis Ilias maintained a watermill at this point and the construction of the bridge was done to replace the older bridge, in order to make the passage safer.
Repairs were carried out in 1866 and were paid by Alexios Plakidas. This act is recorded in an old register of “contributors and benefactors to the community and church of Koukouli village”.
Alexios brother and nephew were also contributors. Since that time the Plakidas family has not stopped generous amounts of money to repair the bridge. This explains the bridge’s name, although its official name is Kalogeriko Bridge; which means “Bridge of the abbot”.
Greece - Kipi, Mylos Bridge
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The Mylos Bridge (Γεφύρι Μύλου) is located nearby the village of Kipi and crosses the River Bayiotiokos. The villagers used to cross this bridge to get to the local watermill (hence the name: mylos = mill in Greek) and their gardens on the opposite side of the river, or to travel to Ioannina.
Mylos Bridge has three arches. The two largest stand in the river bed and are almost equal in size; the smallest is a flood arch. Looking from left to right the dimensions of each arch are (span and height): 9.60/4.30 meters, 8.30/3,75 meters and 3.90/1.60 meters. The walkway is 41 meters long and 2.30 meters wide. It rises and falls twice, peaking in height over the keystones of the largest arches. The path is protected by vertical arcade stones.
A plaque built into the masonry over the central pier tells that the bridge was completed in June 1748.
Greece - Vikos Gorge
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The Vikos Gorge is located in the mountainous area of Epirus and is part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park. It is an extremely spectacular gorge due to its steep walls, rising to a height of more than 1.200 meters in several places. In fact, it is the second deepest gorge in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the USA. TheVoidomatis River crosses the Vikos Gorge and gives beautiful natural sceneries.
Although the Vikos Gorge has been called the 'deepest' gorge on earth (since 1997 it has been listed by Guinness World Records as the deepest canyon), it is not entirely true, as a special measurement method has been used that excludes other deeper places. Does not take away from the fact that the gorge is a downright natural wonder. The gorge was created because the river Voidomatis was given millions of years to erode it.
The gorge is named after the village of Vikos, where it ends. The starting point is about 600 meters after the mountain village of Monodendri. Its overall length exceeds 30km; its depth varies. In Monodendri it reaches 600 meters and is its the narrowest point and in Vikos village it reaches 1.200 meters. Vikos Gorge is nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of Greece”.
Greece - Vrosina, bridge
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Some pictures of the stone single-arched stone bridge in Vrosina. Its construction was funded by the Makralexis Monastery The bridge crosses the river Zaloggitikos just before it flows into the Kalamas.
I estimate the bridge is dating back to the end of the 19th century, like a lot of other stone bridges in Epirus. But to be honest I couldn’t find much information about the bridge. Even two friendly and helpful Vrosina-women were not able to find important information about its history on the internet.
Greece - Molyvdoskepastos, Church of the Holy Apos…
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The Church of the Holy Apostles is located just outside the small village of Molyvdoskepastos - known as Depalitsa until 1929. According to the text of the founding inscription, it was built in 1537 and the hagiographies were added in 1645. The church belongs to the cross inscribed architectural type, with a twelve-side dome, a narthes to the west and a later portico to the south. The interior shows remarkable frescoes.
The church used to be the seat of the Archbishop of Pogoniani until 1857. Next to the church is a viewpoint, from where there is a fine view of the area of the Greek-Albanian border and of the confluence of the rivers Aoos and Sarandaporos, the waters of the two rivers then cross the Albanian lands and flow into the Adriatic sea (PiP3).
Greece - Konitsa, Suleiman Mosque
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The Suleiman Mosque is the only surviving mosque in Konitsa. It is a building that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent founded on his return from a campaign in Albania after 1536. It remains in a dilapidated state, after it was abandoned by the Muslim inhabitants of Konitsa, who left during the exchange of populations in 1925. It consists of a prayer area and the minaret which is built into the southwest corner of the prayer area.
On the same archaelogical site one will find also a hexagonal mausoleum of one room (PiP4) and the former Muslim school of Konitsa. According to an inscription on the lintel the school is dating back to 1869 (PiP5).
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