The Church of Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai is the largest Orthodox church in Athens, one of the largest Orthodox churches in Greece and the eighth largest Orthodox church in the world. The shrine accommodates more than 10 thousand worshippers and is located in the centre of the capital.
The church of St. Panteleimon in Athens was built on the site of an old small temple, also dedicated to Agios Panteleimon. It had three naves, each with a separate gable roof. The church was laid little southwards on September 12, 1910 by King George the First of Greece. However, the construction work in the shrine began only in the 20s of the last century, according to the project of the architect Ioannis Papadakis.
In 1929-1930, the frame of a huge concrete dome was already erected here. It should also be noted that this church is one of the first buildings where concrete was used as a construction material.
But after the construction work was completed, it turned to be necessary to demolish the temple. The thing was that it was planned to build an electrified railway at the place of its location. On June 22, 1930, a temporary church was opened under the dome of the new temple, which was in the process of construction. It was consecrated by Archbishop Chrysostom Papadopoulos. The construction of the nowadays shrine began in 1939. It was designed by the architect Georgios Nomikos. The church had been built for almost 50 years because of its incredible scale. But it was definitely worth it!
The length of the Church of Saint Panteleimon in Athens is 58 metres, and its width is 45 metres. In the period from 1984 to 2007, the famous artist Yiannis Karousos painted it from the inside, giving the interior an extraordinary magnificence and uniqueness. In general, the biblical motifs on the walls occupied an area of 6 thousand square metres. The windows, columns and floor made of marble deserve special attention in the temple. There are also rows of chairs for worshippers who can sit here during the service.
But the church is also surprising from the outside. For example, its dome covers an area of 1600 square metres, and the thickness of its masonry reaches two metres. But in addition to the fact that the Church of St. Panteleimon is a monument of great religious and architectural significance, it is also known for cultural events. For example, seminars on Byzantine music and traditional organs are often organized here. If you are lucky, you will also be able to visit them.
In the Church of St. Panteleimon everything is located in the same manner as in any Orthodox Church. You can light a candle here or listen to the services just sitting in the back row.
The Church is located northwards from Victoria square, along the busy Acharnon street, which gave it its name. And since this is the centre of the city, you can reach the temple on foot. It is a 10-minute walk from “Victoria” metro station on line 1 and “Attica” metro station on lines 1 and 2.
