Churches of Lindos
St George Chostas
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| ST
GEORGE CHOSTAS is the oldest church in
town, dating from the 12th century. It is cruciform in a
'cross-in-square' style. As with many Lindos churches,
the town has been built up around it, and to enter it is
like going underground. Annoyingly, this is kept locked,
and an American woman who came here as a hippy in the
1970s and now works in the Ikon gallery told me that it
is very hard to get into. I wanted to see the famous Ikon
of St George of Lindos, which is vast, painted on tin and
set in the north transept. I passed the church on most
days, rattling the door in frustration, but to no avail.
But then, on the Feast of the Dormition, I was passing at
about 10am and I saw an old woman go down the steps and
let herself in! I hurried down after her, and my perakola?
was answered with a smile. I stepped into the tiny
church, ablaze with beeswax candles and the smell of
chrism oil. The woman refilled the lamps, lit a few more
candles. The ikon is awesome, life-size and glimmering in the dark. I stood looking at it for a few moments, the woman watching me. When I had said a prayer and lit a candle, she led the way back outside into the blazing sunshine and locked the door behind her. I had been most fortunate. |
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