The Church of Aghia Sophia
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Climbing the steps from Lambrinidou Street in the picturesque Psaromachalas neighbourhood, one comes to one of the oldest surviving churches in the city, the small single nave domed chapel, which is consecrated to Aghia Sophia. |
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| It is not beyond the realms of possibility that its construction dates back to Byzantine times, if we judge from the architectural elements that have been constructed in the Byzantine style.
When the Turks conquered the city in 1715, Christian churches were forbidden to operate within the walls of the city; the only church in which services were allowed was the church of Aghii Pantes, in the Pronia neighbourhood. Somewhere between 1779 and 1780, Hassan-Pasha granted Aghia Sophia the right to hold Christian services for Christians living within the walls, after the intervention of his Greek interpreter, Nicholas Mavrogenis. From then on, it was the only Christian church inside the walls that was allowed to hold services. After the liberation of Nauplion from the Turkish yoke, Aghia Sophia was renovated in 1825 with funds donated by the Provost Marshal of Nauplion, Nasos Photomaras. |
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The exact location of the Church of Aghia Sophia can be found in Section Map. |
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