Church of Ayios Ioannis, Byzantine church ruin in Lindos, Greece.

The Church of Ayios Ioannis is a ruined cross-domed church on the Acropolis of Lindos, built in the 12th or 13th century over a 6th-century predecessor. Its surviving east end has a protruding main apse and two side apses, round inside and flat outside, with round-arched windows framed in brick. A Gothic castle house was later attached to the south wall, linked by a portal, and a Gothic lancet window remains in the south apse.

The church was built during the Byzantine period as a place of worship and positioned strategically on the Acropolis to provide protection against maritime attacks. Over time it was abandoned and today survives only as ruins.

The ruins show how Byzantine communities built their churches and what materials they chose for construction. Walking around the remains, you can sense how people worshiped and lived here across many centuries.

You can reach the ruins from Lindos village by following marked pathways that lead up to the Acropolis. Early morning hours provide the best light for photographs and are generally less crowded.

The church was converted into a mosque under Ottoman rule, and traces of a mihrab can still be seen in the main apse. A Gothic lancet window in the southern side apse and the coat of arms of Grand Master Antonio Fluvian de la Riviere (1421–1437) are also visible.