Agios Nikolaos Ragavas (Athens)

Agios Nikolaos Ragavas Athens

 

 

Location: Prytaneiou and Epicharmou Plaka, Athens

Tel. 210 322 8193

Subway: Monastiraki

Trolley: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18

Open: 8am- 12pm, 5- 8pm daily

 

Description of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas (Church of Saint Nicholas)

Agios Nikolaos Ragavas or simply the Church of Saint Nicholas is a medieval Byzantine church that was built in the 11th century by Paul Hiropotamino, grandson of Emperor Michael I Rangabe. Most of the marble stones of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas or the Church of Saint Nicholas, as well as the columns used in its construction, were obtained from more ancient pagan temples. The first Church of St. Nicholas was rebuilt in the 18th century. This church was the first in the city to receive its bells after the 1821 War of Independence against the Ottoman Turkish Empire. When German fascist troops invaded the country, the church bells fell silent. Only after the enemies were expelled from Greece did the bells ring again on October 12, 1944. These bells are still used to mark Orthodox holidays and every year on the National Day of Greece.

The last time the Church of Saint Nicholas was reconstructed was in the 1970s. The church is built in the medieval Byzantine style of the XI century. Like many churches of Athens, in its outer walls there are marble columns and other remains of ancient pagan buildings.

History of the temple
Church of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas dates back to the 11th century AD. century, as it has similar architectural and decorative features with other churches of this period, such as the Holy Apostles and the church of Soteiras Likodeimos. It was built by the great Byzantine Ragava family and originally functioned as a private temple. However, there is also an opinion that it refers to the 9th century AD. and that he was built on the ruins of an ancient temple by the son of Emperor Michael I Ragava, Theophylact.

In 1687 AD, during the siege of Athens by the troops of Francesco Morozina, in connection with the Sixth Venetian-Turkish War, a shell damaged the Holy Altar of the temple.

In 1833, renovation and expansion works were carried out in the temple, which greatly changed its appearance. He largely restored his original appearance in 1979-80 after the work of the Archaeological Service.

Description of the temple
The Church of Agios Nikolaos Ragavas in its original form was about two times smaller than today.

It was built in a cruciform architectural style with an inscribed dome and had a vaulted roof with a cruciform porch with a spire, which were demolished. Ancient materials were also used in the construction of the temple (for example, capitals), and a brick type was used in its construction.

During the renovation and expansion works in 1833, a vestibule, a bell tower, the northern chapel of St. Paraskeva and the women's monastery of the current church were added. The masonry was covered with plaster, and the dome - with lead sheets. Then the current wooden iconostasis was built, west of the original one, as a result of which the two eastern columns of the temple were inside the altar, and the other two columns were placed next to the previous ones. During work in the late 1970s, an evocative inscription was found embossed on the colonnade of the dome: Κ(ΥΡΙ)Ε ΒΩΗΘΗ ΤΟΥ ΔΟΥΛ(ΟΥ) ΛΕΩ)(Ν)Τ(ΟΣ) ΡΑΝΚΑΒΑ.

The original hagiographies of the church have not been preserved. The existing ones were made during the reign of Otto and executed in western style.