Holy Church of Saint Marina

In the Athens neighbourhood of Thissio, and just five minutes walk from the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Temple of Hephaestus, stands the large, cream-coloured Holy Church of Saint Marina.

Dedicated to Saint Marina, the Saint of children and pregnant women and the vanquisher of demons, this lovely if imposing church is covered by domed tiled roofs and marble steps that glisten and sparkle in the sunlight.

The Holy Church of Saint Marina was built between 1924 and 1927 in the Byzantine style. A byzantine-style church is a church that follows the architectural style of the Byzantine Empire. This style of architecture is characterized by its domed roofs, circular plans, and large scale. Many churches in Athens are built in this style, as the city was once part of the Byzantine Empire.

The four-aisled basilica (see next paragraph) is in memory of a 15-year-old woman of incredible beauty who suffered horrible torture and disfigurement at the hands of a man who wanted her as his bride. She told him he could never marry or have her because the only man she had any love for was Christ. To test her devotion, she challenged him to torture her in any way he wanted. So he did, and in a multitude of gruesome ways. He even sent a demon to devour her in her prison cell, but she vanquished it with a hammer.

A four-aisled basilica is a church with four aisles, or rows of columns, running the length of the nave or main body. This type of basilica is often found in cities and was popular in the early Christian era. Churches of this type were designed to accommodate large crowds. Usually, they had a narthex, or entrance atrium, where people could gather before entering the main body of the church. 

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Holy Church of Saint Marina is its ancient grotto. Nestled in the southeast corner with a domed roof through which natural light streams in, it dates back to the pre-Christian era when it was used as a place of worship. Centuries later, it functioned as an aqueduct, while in the present day, it is used for baptisms. 

Saint Marina

Marina was born into the family of a pagan priest at the end of the 3rd century. She lost her mother at a young age, and her father sent her to a “nanny” to be looked after. The nanny raised the girl as a Christian, and when Marina reached adulthood, she told her father that she did not want to marry so she could remain a virgin. Her father despised her for her faith in Christ and eventually renounced her.

One day, the Governor noticed her walking in the park. Even though she was only fifteen, he was fascinated by her beauty and decided he wanted to court her. The Governor, who now wanted her as his wife, promised the girl wealth, but she stayed adamant and told him that she was a Christian and would never give up her faith. 

The refusal made him very angry, and he ordered his soldiers to beat her in front of the people. After that, the beaten and the bloodied girl was locked in a dungeon. When the Governor visited her the next day, he noticed that all her wounds had healed at night. So he ordered to put her through even more horrific torture. The girl was thrown back into the dungeon when the soldiers were sure of her death. Then a miracle happened, and Marina appeared before the Governor alive and unharmed.

When they tried to burn her at the stake, an earthquake started, which the people saw as another miracle firsthand. The Governor could no longer be defeated, so he ordered Marina to be executed by cutting her head off. 

Her relics were 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.

• 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
• Pictures of the 13th century in the arch of the Holy Step and in its southern part. 
• In the alcove of the Holy Step, the Platytera Infant is depicted enthroned and flanked by angels and hierarchs. The right angel, “respectful” and in imperial attire, is preserved in good condition. 
• On its south side, two full-length Hierarchs are depicted, one of which – Basil the Great – stands out for the linear rendering of the face, the expressiveness of the eyes and the rich decoration of his clothes. 
• Two more full-length saints, one of which is Saint George. 
• Archaeological excavations in the cave during the 1980s unearthed seven layers of walls from the 13th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and frescoes from those walls are exhibited, together with other religious relics.

As well as taking photos of the church, I would also recommend:

• 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
• Pictures of the 13th century in the arch of the Holy Step and in its southern part. 
• In the alcove of the Holy Step, the Platytera Infant is depicted enthroned and flanked by angels and hierarchs. The right angel, “respectful” and in imperial attire, is preserved in good condition. 
• On its south side, two full-length Hierarchs are depicted, one of which – Basil the Great – stands out for the linear rendering of the face, the expressiveness of the eyes and the rich decoration of his clothes. 
• Two more full-length saints, one of which is Saint George. 
• Archaeological excavations in the cave during the 1980s unearthed seven layers of walls from the 13th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and frescoes from those walls are exhibited, together with other religious relics.

Times seem to vary, but they are usually:
Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm