Churches and chapels in Ios

A persistent myth says that there are 365 churches and chapels on Ios - one for each day of the year. Ios is not alone with that fame, there are more islands in the Cyclades where there is said to be exactly 365 churches and chapels. Like so many other myths, this myth is not true.

The Great Cathedral of Chora is one of my favorite churches on Ios.

All churches and chapels in Greece are named after saints. The majority of all Greeks are named after a saint, which is why name days are celebrated instead of birthdays in Greece. But not every day a saint has a name day, some days no saint has a name day, and some days many saints have a name day. Therefore, there is no point in having a church for every day. In addition, new churches are built, and then the myth that there are 365 churches on some islands falls apart.

The cream cake church Agia Aikaterini in Chora is another favourite.

Agia Irini in the harbour is also a favourite church.

Agios Nikolaos, Agios Georgios, Agios Eleftherios and Panagia Premiotissa also belongs to the favourites.

Although there are not exactly 365 churches and chapels on Ios, there are several churches with an unusual architecture on Ios, and there are many churches and chapels that stands extremely beautiful. When it comes to unusual architecture, there are churches below ground level, churches that are narrow and disproportionately long, and churches that looks like cream cakes. Below are pictures of some of the fantastic churches on Ios.

When you arrive by ferry to Ios, you are welcomed by the church of Agia Irini. (See arrow.)

When you arrive by ferry to Ios, you see the beautiful church of Agia Irini on the right, just before the ferry docks in the port. Agia Irini church is very old and was already built in the 17th century. When you pass Agia Irini on your way to the port of Ormos, it is as if the church says: welcome to Ios, and when you leave Ios it says: welcome back to Ios. To the left (facing the sea) of the Agia Irini church, there are more very nice rock baths, which you can read about here.

Agia Irini church seen from the path to Valmas beach.

Agia Irini near the port of Ormos on Ios.

Agia Irini church is very old and was built in the 17th century.

Agia Irini in the 1970s.

I bought this as a souvenir many years ago.

When we went to Amorgos for the first time in the mid-1990s, we couldn't find any rooms, so we had to sleep outside for the first night. After a week on Amorgos, we went on to Ios, which I had many good memories from, and which I was now going to show Camilla. We arrived after midnight, it was dark, there were a lot of people - most of them were drunk and it was the heck out of hell, and that was something we didn't appreciate after our quiet days on Amorgos.

Camilla sleeps outside Agia Irini church.

Instead of looking for a room, we chose to sleep the first night outside, and we chose a place where it was quiet and peaceful, namely the cemetery outside the church of Agia Irini. Camilla slept soundly all night while I rocked back and forth to scare the ghosts.

Here we slept one night among the ghosts in the mid-1990s.

Examples of long churches are found among the alleys of Chora, examples of churches that are partially below ground level are found just before the port, and outside of the big cathedral in Chora. The latter church - Agia Ekaterini - also belongs to the category of Cream cake churches.

The Great Cathedral and the Church of Agia Ekaterini (Aikaterini) in Chora.

Chora Cathedral in the evening.

The churches of Chora are illuminated at night.

Panagia Faneromeni in Chora is an example of a "long-church".

Panagia Premiotissa is one of Ios most photographed churches.

The churches of Agios Georgios, Agios Eleftherios and Panagia Premiotissa.

The sunset seen from Agios Georgios church above Chora.

Agios Georgios church from another angle.

The church opposite Panagia Premiotissa is called Agioi Anargyroi church (see arrow).

I end with a picture of Panagia Paleokastritissa church in Paleokastro.

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