Ministry Returns Two Restored Byzantine Churches to Active Worship

Two of Kastoria’s most significant Byzantine churches have reopened for worship following extensive restoration works, marking another milestone in Greece’s efforts to preserve and revitalise its cultural heritage.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni officially returned the Church of Taxiarchis Mitropoleos and the Church of Saint George in Omorfokklisia to the local community during a visit to Kastoria. She also inspected the ongoing restoration of the historic Kursum Mosque, according to the Ministry of Culture.

The ministry said the completed projects strengthen Kastoria’s position as one of Greece’s most important centres of Byzantine and post-Byzantine heritage.

Mendoni said Kastoria’s combination of exceptional natural beauty and rich cultural legacy has helped establish the city as an increasingly important cultural destination.

“The restoration of an ecclesiastical monument is completed not only through its conservation, but by returning it to the daily life of the local community,” she said.

She added that, wherever possible and in cooperation with local Orthodox dioceses, Byzantine monuments should retain their liturgical function while preserving Greece’s living historical and religious traditions.

Historic Churches Restored

The Church of Taxiarchis Mitropoleos underwent restoration and conservation works valued at €800,000, funded through Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Fund. The project included structural repairs and the conservation of frescoes dating from the 10th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

The church is closely linked to late Byzantine history and houses the ossuary of Pavlos Melas, one of the leading figures of the Macedonian Struggle, and his wife Natalia Melas.

The Church of Saint George in Omorfokklisia, one of the region’s most important Byzantine monuments, also returned to active worship after conservation work revealed and preserved its exceptional medieval frescoes.

Conservators restored the church’s rare 13th-century carved wooden icon of Saint George, a unique full-length sculptural depiction of the saint. The removal of centuries of soot uncovered vibrant original colours and intricate painted decoration that had never previously undergone professional conservation.

Kursum Mosque Nears Completion

Mendoni also inspected restoration work at the Kursum Mosque, a €1 million project funded through the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

Archaeological excavations beneath the monument uncovered the foundations of a Middle Byzantine basilica and numerous burials. The findings will remain visible to visitors through a planned glass floor inside the restored mosque.

Once acoustic improvements and landscaping are completed in the coming months, the Kursum Mosque will officially open as one of Kastoria’s visitor attractions.

The Ministry of Culture said the projects reflect its long-term strategy of preserving, restoring and reintegrating monuments of historical, artistic and spiritual importance into the everyday life of local communities while enhancing Greece’s cultural tourism.

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