11th part of Drama cultural routes - “TAXIARCHES” CHAPEL - Greece

11th part of Drama cultural routes - “TAXIARCHES” CHAPEL

2500 YEARS OF HISTORY IN ONE HOUR

Drama Cultural Route

Drama municipality

Drama Old Town

Drama municipality

Drama Old Town

Culture Centre_Elepherias

Drama municipality

Culture Centre_Elepherias

Drama Municipality

Classical Building in Drama

Drama municipality

View of Drama

11th part of Drama cultural routes - “TAXIARCHES” CHAPEL

“TAXIARCHES” CHAPEL

THE GREAT “TAXIARCHES” (ARCHANGELS) CHAPEL was built in the place of an older construction, remains of which were used in the new building. It is a single-nave basilica with a tiled roof, made of dry-stack stone masonry (and occasionally of brick) and a closed brick structure built in segments (South and East walls respectively).

The painted decoration featuring the circle of the Crucifixion with archangels Michael and Gabriel, partially saved in the Sanctuary and on the South wall of the main temple, dates back to the first two decades of the 14th century. A significant quantity of sculptured material of what originally constituted its marble iconostasis (templon) was found during its excavation. The crypt (ossuary?) located on the South side led excavators to infer that the church was used as burial chapel for Empress Irene Palaeologina (ca.1317).

Today it features a two-panel tile roof resulting from various structural changes made during the second half of the 19th century.