Panagia Ekatontapiliani

Located at a distance of just a few meters from the port of Parikia, the church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani is one of the most stunning Paleo-Christian monuments in Greece. You can appreciate how well the structure of these buildings has been preserved. In the outer part of the main church, you can also visit the chapels of Agios Nikolaos, Agia Theodosia, and Agios Dimitrios.

It is a building featuring an amalgamation of Paleochristian, Byzantine and post-Byzantine elements. This church also features marble structures from old temples in Paros due to the practice by the first Christians to build Churches using parts from antiquities. Ekatontapiliani means the church with a hundred doors, and a popular myth is what has led to this name. The vast complex of the church includes the church of the Virgin Mary, which is the main church, along with the internal chapels of Agios Anargiros, Agios Philippos and Osia Theoktisti. If you want to understand what the life of ancient monks would have been like, you can visit the Monastery yard, where there is a baptistery and various cells for monks. The original church is said to have been constructed by Saint Constantine, who was the first emperor of Constantinople in the 4th century AD. It underwent reformations by the Byzantine and post-Byzantine emperors in the coming centuries to appear as what it is today. Remember to dress modestly, considering it is a place of religious value.