The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas
The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas (Hagios Nikolaos) dominates the town's main square. The church was founded in 1857 on the ruins of a Byzantine church dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, befitting an island where almost all men were sailors or fishermen. The architect of the building is Hacı Stefani Gaytanki Kalfa. The church was damaged in the earthquake in 1894; but it was repaired soon after. The church is cross-shaped in plan, with a dome covered on top of a high cylinder covering the center, four support buttresses, barrel-vaulted arches on its four arms, and a bell tower rising independently of the main structure. Under the altar is the tomb of Bishop Samuel I, who died in 1775. A separate building in front of the narthex hosts the sacred fountain of St. Paraskevi (Hagia Paraskevi).
