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Saint Stephan Church

St. Stephen's Church is located in the lower part of Drymades village, it is believed to be the second most ancient church of the region after that of Kasopitra.

THE CHURCH

St. Stephen's Church is located in the lower part of Drymades village, near the beach front. In its present state it is presented as a small post-Byzantine hat on whose walls are part of an earlier basilica that consisted of a nose divided into three naves, an altar and a narthex on the western side.

In the second construction phase, the church has lost its large dimensions and from the previous structure it uses parts of the aisle and of the former eastern wall, preserving data on the initial construction technique. Thus, the basilica was built with stone stones, lined with lime mortar. In the plaster with thick plaster, tile bricks are laid between the stones.

Planimetry and construction techniques, have led to the dating of the first phase of the century. XI - XII. The second phase of construction belongs to the post-Turkish invasion period. During this period, the interior of the chapel is decorated with wall paintings, which for stylistic features reflect in themselves two different stages of painting.

From the earliest stage is preserved only St. Stephen's head in the envelope environment, the saint to whom the church is proclaimed. The treatment of his portrait reflects the work of a quality master, who has adopted the Byzantine tradition in the selection of the types of saints, while their execution shows Western influences. Based on the above data it is believed this phase belongs to the century. XVI.

The inscription on the Beautiful Entries shows that the painting is the work of Mihail Zermas on the 16th century.

  • During the early centuries of Christianity the Region of Himara has played an important role as being part of the Byzantine Empire. On the first millenia Himara was a member of the Despotate of Epirus and for some years it also played the role of the capital. During the Ottoman period the most serious problem for the Church was the massive return to Muslims.

  • At the same time, various Roman-Catholic propaganda missions operate in Himara's coastal zone. For the support of Orthodox, from the century AD. XVII, new monasteries were built in many areas, which also developed to centers of Orthodox resistance, spiritual cultivation, education, and useful social activities, for example. the monasteries of Kakomea, Akroriza, Himara, Drymades, Qeparo etc.

  • Despite Communist efforts to enforce an atheistic, secular state. In 1967, the government closed more than 2,100 mosques, churches, monasteries, and other places of worship and declared the country an atheist state. Subsequent complaints like failure to work at Easter on the part of Christians suggest that the official abolition of public was a failure.

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HOW TO VISIT

You can visit this church by joining our guided tour, for more details check the package above. If you decide to visit it by yourself, well done, just click on the following link to view a detailed map. Map to the Church of Saint Stephan in Drymades

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VISIT HIMARA aims to provide all the essential information that a visitor might need on their next adventure to the Region of Himara. The data has been collected from Google Maps, Wikipedia, Local Guides and Personal Experience.

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