Saint George Diasoritis, Naxos, Eastern Orthodox church in Halki, Naxos, Greece.

Saint George Diasoritis is a Byzantine church in Halki on Naxos built with a cross-in-square floor plan and a central dome. Four sturdy piers support the structure, while a lower entrance area connects visitors to the main worship space above.

The church was built and decorated in the 11th century, not in 1001. Its architecture, wall paintings, sculptures, two arcosolia with graves in the narthex and an inscription show it was one of the most important churches in the region. In the southeast corner of the narthex, a dedicatory inscription of John the Protospatharios, a high-ranking Byzantine official, points to the region's role as an administrative centre controlling the island's hinterland.

The painted walls inside show religious scenes from different time periods, with images of Christ and important church celebrations layered on top of each other. You can see how the community added new images over the centuries, turning the walls into a record of their faith.

The church sits about 600 meters from Halki village and opens only during summer months when volunteers are present. These staff members provide information and help explain what you are seeing inside the building.

The two arcosolia tombs in the narthex are now empty, but the narthex itself keeps a funerary character: its paintings centre on the Second Coming. In the southeast corner, a dedicatory inscription names John the Protospatharios, a high-ranking Byzantine official, which points to the region's role as an administrative centre controlling the island's hinterland.