St. Nicholas Church, Kavala
Church in Kavala, Greece
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Church of Saint Nicholas (Greek: Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου) is a Greek Orthodox church in the town of Kavala, in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region of Greece. It was built during Ottoman period as a mosque, called the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (Turkish: İbrahim Paşa Camii), before it was converted into a church in modern times.[1]
| Saint Nicholas' Church | |
|---|---|
Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου | |
The church in 2012 | |
  Saint Nicholas' Church Location of the church in Greece | |
 Saint Nicholas' Church | |
| 40°56′10″N 24°24′48″E | |
| Location | Kavala, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace |
| Country | Greece |
| Language | Greek |
| Denomination | Greek Orthodox |
Previous denomination | Islam (1530–1920s) |
| History | |
Former name(s) | Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (Turkish: İbrahim Paşa Camii) |
| Status | |
| Dedication | Saint Nicholas |
| Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Architectural type |
|
| Style | Ottoman |
| Completed | 1530 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick; stone |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Philippi, Neapolis and Thasos |
History
The building was erected in 1530 during the Ottoman rule of Macedonia as an Islamic mosque, perhaps on the site of a pre-existing Christian church, by Ibrahim Pasha, vizier to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and it was the largest mosque in Kavala.[2]
In the 1920s the mosque was converted into a church for Christian worship, dedicated to Saint Nicholas; the bell-tower was built upon the base of the destroyed minaret.[3][4][5] On the eastern side of the church there is a mural depicting the arrival of Apostle Paul in the port.[2]
Gallery
Panoramic view of Kavala in 1913 from the customs house
The church with the mural
