PARIKIA
Paros is
rightfully one of the most popular islands in Greece thanks to its beautiful
beaches and the multitude of activities and attractions it offers to the
visitor. Here are the places worth visiting on the island on your trip.
Parikia and
the castle.
The capital
of Paros is its liveliest settlement, commercial center and epicenter of
entertainment and shopping. The beach is filled with café-bars and restaurants
from where you will enjoy the most beautiful sunsets in Paros and the spectacle
of ships going in and out of the port. Parikia is one of the oldest settlements
and has been inhabited continuously for thousands of years.
The settlement you
see today began to be created in the 13th century. In and around the castle
built by the Venetian duke of Naxos, Sanoudos, to protect the port from pirates
who ravaged the Aegean. The castle remained in the possession of the Venetians
until 1537, when it passed into the hands of the Turks.
Walking
behind the whitewashed houses of the castle you will see the tower with
built-in architectural members of the 4th century. BC, while at its top there
is a section of circular dome that was dedicated to Hestia. Archaeologists
claim that building materials from an archaic temple dedicated to the goddess
Demeter were used for the construction of the castle, while embedded parts from
other temples of the same period, as well as the classical one, have been
discovered. A small part of the temple of Athena (6th century BC) is preserved
at the top of the hill.
The walk in
the cobbled streets will reveal some beautiful churches, such as Agios Markos,
Panagia tou Stavrou, Agios Stylianos and Agia Anna. The church of Agios
Konstantinos stands out, with its simple columns and arches, from where you
will admire a magnificent sunset.
Panagia
Ekatontapiliani
It is the
most important temple of the early Christian era in Greece, because it
preserves unique architectural elements, valuable for the history and function
of the church in those years. Built in the time of Justinian, in the 16
centuries of its life it changed many times form and layout. When in the early
1960s, archaeologist Anastasios Orlandos revealed beneath the whitewashed walls
its hidden grandeur, the science of Byzantine archaeology found a Christian
reference monument.
The complex
of Panagia Ekatontapyliani consists of the central church of the Virgin Mary,
the Baptistery, the chapel of Agios Nikolaos, the chapels of Agia Theodosia,
Agios Demetriou and the cells. Also known
as Panagia Katapoliani, there are two versions for its name. Because it was
built outside the walls of the ancient city (against-the-city) it took the
nickname Katapoliani. Ekatontapyliani, however, is a scholarly creation of the
17th century. Tradition says that the church has 99 visible gates. The 100th
will be revealed when Constantinople passes back into Greek hands. In the
building there is a very interesting Byzantine museum.
