One of the most important Byzantine monuments of Ikaria is the church of St. Irene, which was built on top of an early Christian basilica, parts of which, can still be seen today. At one time the church’s foundation had been dated between the 9th and 10th centuries, though it has recently been revised to somewhere during the 11th or 12th century A.D. Belonging to the simple, four column cruciform style, the church is rectangular, with the points of the cross supported by gabled roofs and a dome which stands atop an eight-sided drum. The church’s roof is covered by slate shingles, while the original walls have been re-coated.
