Post – Byzantine Church of Paleochori in Nipsa – Municipality of Traianoupolis
The church is dedicated to the Birth of Virgin Mary. It is built in the architectural style of triple Basilica with a pitched roof and an attic, a style quite common in the provinces of post – Byzantine occupied Greece. The date 1844 can be seen in a vaulting of the external gate in the south wing of the church. Whether the date refers to construction or repairs is not known.
The belfry, 13 meters in height, is square shaped and stands independently according to the Byzantine tradition. The floor is stone while the attic, pulpit and the iconostasis are wooden. The parapets are adorned with beautiful angel illustrations and the altar consists of a square plate with a single cylinder leg.
This type of altar is early Christian and was transported to the post – Byzantine chapel from somewhere else, possibly from the ’Holy Trinity’. The internal walls have been plastered but some evidence of previous frescoes is still visible.
The central arch is adorned by an illustration of Jesus while we can see palmettos, stars and angels in the rest of the blue backdrop. The representation was possibly a starry sky, again an early Christian theme. In the attic, a piece of cloth in bad condition with representations of saints and scenes of both the Old and the New Testament was found in the summer of 1988. On the back there was a hand – written inscription, possibly bought by someone who visited the Holy Land (Jerusalem) added the inscription and dedicated it to the church.