The Byzantine Church Of Agios Nikolaos
original content © simplycreteholidays ltd 2006
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    North of the town of Aghios Nikolaos on top of a small peninsula, the church of
    Saint Nikolaos, the oldest example in the area of classic early Byzantine
    architecture, is located.

    It is quite a small church that was built between the 7th and 9th century, during
    the Iconoclastic period, as indicated by its schematic decoration. Geometric and
    natural patterns, and intersecting circles unite to form multi-coloured leaves of
    bright colours, and schematic tree trunks with branches, in addition to diamond
    and rosette shapes comprise the interior decoration.

    These illustrations had been super-imposed over the originals because of the ban
    on icon painting in churches imposed by the Byzantine emperors of the Isausus
    dynasty (712-802A.D.) which, having commenced in Istanbul, spread throughout
    the entire Byzantine Empire eventually reaching the town. When the church was
    being repaired during the 14th century, after suffering damage from the
    earthquake of 1303 that rocked and almost destroyed Crete, it was discovered that
    the schematic decorations had concealed the Christian paintings.