Marina was born in Southern Anatolia in the family of a pagan priest at the end of the 3rd century. She lost her mother in young age. Her father had to work hard, so decided to send the girl to a nanny 15 miles away. The nanny turned out to be a Christian, so she raised the girl in this faith from an early age. When Marina reached adulthood, she told her father that she did not want to marry in order to live a virgin life. Her father despised her for her faith and eventually renounced her.
One day, the new city governor Olymbrios noticed her while walking in the park. He was fascinated by the beauty of a fifteen-year-old girl and decided to get acquainted with her. Marina told him that she was a Christian and that she would never give up her faith. Olymbrios, who has already imagined her as his wife, promised the girl laurels and wealth, but she stayed adamant. The refusal made him angry, and he ordered the soldiers to beat her in front of the people. After that, the beaten and bloodied girl was locked in a dungeon. During the visit to Marina the next day, the governor noticed that all her wounds had healed at night. Olymbrios ordered to put her to terrible torture again. When the soldiers were sure of her death, the girl was thrown back into the dungeon. And a miracle happened again, and Marina appeared before the Governor alive and unharmed.
When they tried to burn the Saint, a strong earthquake began, and the people saw a real miracle firsthand. Later many of them accepted baptism. The governor could no longer be defeated, so he ordered to execute Marina by cutting her head off.
Her relics had been kept for a long time in the monastery of Panteponteus until Constantinople was captured by the Western crusaders in 1204. After that, her right hand was transferred to the Vatopedi monastery (Athos), and the rest to the Church dedicated to the Holy Martyr of the mother of God.
The church of St. Marina is located in Thissio district in Athens, on a hill near the National Observatory. Originally, the Church was carved in the rock, and inside it was covered with numerous wall paintings. It is now a baptistery. The main Church was built many years later. The foundation was laid in 1922. The construction, led by the talented architect Achilleos Georgiadis, was started in 1924 and finished in 1927. Now it is an impressive four-nave basilica with a massive dome that is made in an elegant Byzantine style.
Inside the Church of St. Marina, you can see hagiographies by famous Greek artists — Greikos and Kandris, the icons of the 12th–18th centuries and other relics. A wooden temple designed by Georgios Nomikos impresses the visitors much as well.
An interesting fact: the location of the Church is considered to be connected with the traditions and features of midwifery of ancient Greece. Even nowadays, pregnant women or mothers with sick children often come here to pray for them. There is a belief that if a pregnant woman goes down the hill, she will quickly and smoothly give birth to a child.
The Church is located in the heart of the city, so you can walk here in 12 minutes from the metro station “Monastiraki”.
If you take the metro, you can also get off at “Thissio” metro station, which is a 6-minute walk away.
You can also take buses No. 026, 035 and 227 and get off at the “Nileos” bus stop.
There are many other places of interest near the Church — the Agora, the Museum of the Ancient Agora, the Stoa of Attalos. We advise you to arrange a detailed route in advance to make your walk as varied as possible.
