Protaton, Byzantine church in Karyes, Greece.
The Protaton is a three-aisle basilica in Karyes on Mount Athos, with a central aisle that rises above the side sections and an external gallery on the northern side. Medieval wall paintings cover the interior surfaces throughout the structure.
Founded in 962, this church predates other buildings on Mount Athos and has served as the administrative center for the monastic community since then. The building has endured and been restored across the centuries.
The interior frescoes created by Manuel Panselinos reflect how artistic skill and spiritual practice merged in medieval church decoration. These painted walls show the style of their era and reveal what religious art meant to the monks who worked and prayed here.
The church is located in Karyes, the central administrative area of the Mount Athos monastic community, so it is best visited as part of a broader exploration of the site. Restoration work from the 1950s and 1960s, along with ongoing conservation efforts, has kept the interior in viewable condition.
A marble iconostasis inside holds portable icons painted by Theophanes in the 1500s that remain in their original condition. These icons are a rare surviving example of artwork from that era that has escaped alteration or replacement.
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