Description of the attraction
Among the many attractions of the capital of Greece, Athens, which are definitely worth a visit, the small Byzantine church of Panagia Gorgoepikos, or the church of Agios Eleftherios (also known as the Little Metropolis), deserves special attention. The church is located in the very heart of Athens on Mitropoleos Square next to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (Mitropoli) and is an important historical and architectural monument.
The Church of Panagia Gorgoepikos was built on the place where historians believe that the sanctuary of the goddess Ilithia was once located (in ancient mythology, Ilithia is the patroness of women in childbirth) and this is probably why the temple was consecrated in honor of the Mother of God. An old legend says that the temple of Panagia Gorgoepikos was founded in the 8th century by the Byzantine empress Irina (canonized by the Church at the Second Nicene Cathedral for the restoration of icon veneration), but the church as we see it today was built much later - at the end of the 12th - the beginning of the 13th century, when Michael Choniates was the metropolitan of Athens, and today it is one of the best preserved religious buildings of Athens of this period.
During the period of Ottoman rule, the Church of Panagia Gorgoepikos was part of the bishop's residence, and after the creation of the Greek state, a branch of the National Library was located within the walls of the church for some time. In 1863, after a large-scale reconstruction, the church was consecrated in honor of Saint Eleftherios.
The Church of Panagia Gorgoepikos is a typical cross-domed church. During its construction, a wide variety of fragments of ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine structures were used as building materials, which, however, is not surprising, since at that time it was a very common practice. Of particular interest is the upper part of the building, where it is very unusual, but at the same time, built-in fragments of ancient temples look in their "place" (for example, the pediment on the left side of the southern facade), and the walls are decorated with various reliefs illustrating the peculiarities of the culture of one or another era. And although the combination of geometric compositions, Christian crosses, sphinxes, figures of satyrs, scenes depicting athletes of the Panathenian Games, etc. looks unusual, this undoubtedly gives the building a special charm.
