Sts. Constantine and Helen Church, Mesimeri: An Orthodox Church on a Medieval Site
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Greece
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Ottoman
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Basilica
History
Sts. Constantine and Helen Church is a late Ottoman Orthodox church in Mesimeri, Greece. It belongs to the Diocese of Kassandria within the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the senior see of the Eastern Orthodox communion. The church was built on a medieval archaeological site known as the Tumba of Sts. Constantine and Helen. A tumba is an archaeological mound or raised settlement site that can preserve traces of earlier occupation.
The church was formerly called St Nicholas. Its present dedication refers to Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who supported Christianity, and his mother Helen, who is traditionally associated with the discovery of the True Cross. In 1993, both the church and the medieval archaeological site were declared cultural monuments. The church continues to serve as an active place of Orthodox worship.
Remains
The church stands in the northern part of Mesimeri as a small three-aisled basilica. This form is organized around a central nave with two side aisles. The building occupies the medieval Tumba of Sts. Constantine and Helen, linking the late Ottoman church with the earlier archaeological remains preserved at the site.
