Chapels

St Paul, on his voyage to mainland Europe, anchored off the shore of Samothraki.

There are supposedly 1000 chapels on the island - one for every three inhabitants. Most of these chapels are ruins - no more than heaps of stones - a legacy of the long history of persecution on the island, and the depopulation of the early 1800s. Historically the island has close connections with Mount Athos, but is now administered by the Diocese of Alexandroupolis. There is still a small active monastery on the island.

AGIA PARASKEVI

The small chapel of Agai Paraskevi is situated close to the seaside, on the approach to the settlement of Ano Meria.

The area is sheltered by a grove of ancient trees.

FEAST DAY: July 26th

This is a well attended religious day. Following a service in the chapel, those who have gathered for the occasion picnic under the trees at nearby Aspasoudas.

THE CHURCH OF THE DORMITION OF THEOTOKOS

This Church was built in 1875.

This is one of the larger churches on the island. It has the architectural form of a small basilica. The wooden roof is imposing.

In the interior are a number of icons, and the relics of the five martyrs of Samothrace. Their names were : Manuel, Georgeios, Michael,Theodore and Georgeos. In 1821 these five were converted to Islam by force.

When they returned home they cast off Islam, and returned to Christianity. In retaliation for denying the prophet, the Turkish occupiers of the island tortured them to death.

ANNUAL PROCESSION

The Five Martyrs of Samothraki are celebrated each year on the Sunday of Thomas with a Divine Liturgy, with the participation of all the priests of the island, and the procession of the image and the casket containing the remains of the martyrs.

PANAGIA KAMARIOTISSA

There is a famous icon in this church, honored and celebrated annually on the Thursday of Bright Week.

The story is told that the icon was found floating in the sea in a sealed canister, and housed in a chapel on the seashore here sometime in the ninth century.

The names of the three fishermen who found the icon, according to tradition, are Paul and his younger brother Raxi, the latter of the two being the one who carried the canister to shore; the third was named Lambros.

The brothers constructed a chapel near the ruins of an old church.

These fishermen kept a perpetual oil lamp burning before the miraculous icon. The islanders regard this icon of Theotokos as a protectress of the island.

Θεοφάνεια 2018 EPIPHANY AT KAMARIOTISSA

THE BLESSING OF THE WATERS

Theophany marks the day that Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist.

A wooden cross is cast into the sea at Kamariotissa port on the day of the feast of the Epiphany. A collection of brave youths plunge into the sea to fetch it.

The swimmer who retrieves it and returns it to the priest is thought to be blessed with good luck in the coming year.

KAMARIOTISSA - AKROTIRI

PROFITIS ILIAS

THERMA - LOUTRA (VILLAGE)

THERMA - LOUTRA (HARBOUR)

PANAGIA KRIMNIOTISSA

This photographs clearly shows the location of the church, perched on a rocky outcrop high above the Aegean, looking out westward over the sea.

The rough sand beach of Pachia Ammos, the island's only sand coastline accessible by car, can be seen below.

A ROADSIDE CHAPEL

A CHAPEL

MOUNTAIN CHAPEL

The sacred glebe land surrounding the island's chapels provide important environmental refuges - as they are generally fenced in against the depredations of the ever-hungry goats.

Here we see a tiny remnant of the glorious oak forests that once swathed the entire island.

In the Byzantine period Samothraki also had a small Jewish community, which may have been even more ancient, explaining the visit of St Paul to the island.

Before the war, only three Hebrews were living on the island; they were send to their deaths during the German-Bulgarian invasion of Thrace, along with their fellow congregants in Alexandroupolis. The island in general also suffered greatly during the occupation.