Holy Church of St. Kyrikos, Agios Kyrikos

The capital of the island takes its name from this young martyr, who also happens to be Ikaria’s patron saint. According to historical sources, Kyrikos and his mother Ioulitta were martyred in Asia Minor at Tarsus during the 4th century A.D. And were canonized by the church, with Kyrikos possibly being Orthodoxy’s youngest saint, losing his life at just three years old. The church was built between 1902 – 1911 under the auspices of Belgian architect Eugene Dypre. Architecturally speaking, it’s a three-aisled cruciform basilica with an impressive dome, that is visible from ships approaching the island’s harbour. The church was built by G.S. Fountouli while the inner sanctuary is the work of A. Vlachogeni. The icons were painted on marble plaques by the painter Nikos Sitara of Samos.

Contact us: nature (at) ecotourism-greece.com