Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos
The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos is the central church of Lefkimmi, one of the most beautiful villages of Evros, next to the Forest of Dadia and dominates in the village’s nlandsacape by far. It started being constructed in 1900 and it celebrates on September 8. It is a basilica, made of stone, with remarkable architectural, traditional elements from the famous stone carvers of Lefkimmi. The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos was decorated with frescoes by many well-known icon-painters of the region of Adrianoupolis in the early 20th century, and the frescoes have been fully preserved.
The Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos is impressive, though modest as far as the architecture is concerned. Decoration is very simple on the outside. Inside, the wooden carved iconostasis presents a special interest with the symmetrical composition of two carved dragons from the mouths of which jump out the Evangelists amid flames. The iconostasis of the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos combines local “ancient” elements with innovative baroque influences.
The icons of 1834 and 1850 that are found in the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos are also interesting. The icons of Saint George are bilingual, in Greek and Cyrillic script. The script style of the icons of Panagia Vrefokratousa, Jesus and Saint John the Baptist remind of the Russian alphabet.
