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Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas

The Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas is dedicated to the patron of sailors, which was the occupation of the residents of Alexandroupolis in the early 20th century.

It is a magnificent basilica made of stone with a dome and two bell towers. It is located in the city center, on the homonymous square. When it was built (it was founded in 1892 and was inaugurated in 1901 from the then Metropolitan of Aenus, Germanos Theotokas) it was located between the two educational centers, the Leontarideios School and the 1st Primary School of Alexandroupolis, which along with the Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas constituted the spiritual complex that is still standing nowadays in the city.

In the Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas is hosted the icon of Panagia Trifotissa, which arrived here with the refugees of Aenus and is work of the 13th century. It is a relief of ecclesiastical art that has been created with rare technique, from pigments that give a natural movement and sensation to the faces. There is also the smaller but equally remarkable icon of Panagia Mavroforousa.

Next to the Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas, on the Cathedral square, there is today the Ecclesiastical Museum of Alexandroupolis with more than 400 sacred artifacts coming from churches and monasteries of the entire Evros. It is said that the construction of the Metropolitan Church of Saint Nicholas cost 25.000 Turkish pounds, while for its inauguration was issued a luxurious poster that still exists.

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