Dormition of Theotokos Church
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The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos is a small beautiful church located in Ialyssos, to the south of its central square. Today it is parish and it is open to everyone. The temple and its bell tower look especially unusual in the evening, in the moonlight and when the complex is illuminated by small lamps.

Little history

There are many churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary on the island, the same as in the entire Orthodox world. The Dormition of the Theotokos Church in Rhodes is one of them. It was built to honour the memory of the Saint, despite the fact that unfortunately there is no data about the appearance of the Virgin Mary here.

The Church was built in 1756 as a single-tier cross-type basilica of the Dodecanese type with pronaos and gynaeconite. However, this is a typical architectural execution of shrines in the 18–19th centuries in Rhodes. Individual elements of the Church were rebuilt step by step. This is clearly evidenced by its architectural and morphological features and by data noted in the Church code. Although, you will most likely notice some differences in the interior and exterior design of the Church. For example, there is a significant stylistic difference between the main building and the bell tower.

The narthex with women's rooms was probably built between 1857 and 1860, almost a hundred years after the foundation was laid. The arch and main entrance on the northern side were completed in 1902 – 1903, and the five-storey pyramidal bell tower was completed only in 1939. The marble floor was laid a year later: it turned the room itself into the centre of the main Church. As for the paintings that adorn the walls of the shrine – they were created only at the beginning of 2009, when the reconstruction of the temple began.

Why did it take so long to build the Church? People say that the construction of the temple was initiated by the residents of the village and of the surrounding area — they had gradually raised funds and personally built up every element of it. Therefore, the building was built as soon as they had money. Moreover, the Greeks believe that it is better to build slowly and have a small church than to have no church at all.

There were two stages of construction of the temple's carved, gilded and partially painted iconostasis, which is considered to be one of the best examples of Ottoman Baroque in the Dodecanese. The first one began in 1782 — at that time, the middle and lower parts were created. It was supervised by master Taliadouros from Kos. The second stage was the designing of the upper zone with a cross, most likely in 1810. As you can see, the iconostasis appeared much earlier than some other parts of the structure itself.

By the way, the lectern, which is decorated with woodcarvings, resembles an iconostasis, and the throne, on the contrary, differs by an inserted ivory and marble mosaic. Theodore Stergi was the author of it; the throne was created in 1789.

Significant shrines

On both sides of the iconostasis in the Church are the Cyprus icon of Prayer, which dates back to 1514, and the miracle-working icon of Our Lady of Mercy, the patron Saint of the shrine. It was drawn by Ioannis Anagnostos from Pisidia. There are two other unique images in the narthex of the temple. The first is a silvered icon of the Dormition of Theotokos of 1965; the second is an icon of brigadier general Mikhail, dating back to 1890.

As for the icon of 1514, it was located on the iconostasis of the Dormition Church instead of the image of the Pantocrator until the middle of the 20th century. It had a silver lining that was added in 1740. The lining was leaving the faces of the saints and the part of the golden plain uncovered. Christ holds blessings in his right hand and an unusual passage from the Gospel of John in his left hand in the image. A couple of devotees on the knees are close to him.

The second unique icon of the temple is the “Epitaph of Sorrow”. It is kept in the parish Church of the Dormition of Theotokos. The icon was created according to an older small image, which is located in nearby Church of St. Nicholas and dates back to the 15th century. It is one of the most outstanding works of church art from the period before the Ottoman conquest of the island of Rhodes. It is a perfect example of how aesthetically and authentically different techniques, backgrounds and sizes can be combined on the same canvas.

The temple is located 5 kilometres from Rhodes airport. The easiest way to get here is by bus, which departs from the capital. The road will take no more than 15 minutes. When you arrive in the town, go to the central square. Here the locals will tell you how to find the Church quickly. Although you will most likely hear it due to the ringing of the bells.

Tips

  • You don't have to cover your head in the temple. But the clothes should cover shoulders and knees.
  • The candles in the Church are free. If you wish, you can make a donation.
  • The shrine is closed from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Better come here in the morning.