The Monastery
of Timios Prodromos is located 12 km. NE of Serres, in the bottom of
a ravine on Mt. Menikion. The catholicon (main church) was built in the
14th century and belongs to the single-aisled domed type with lite, narthex,
exonarthex and an oblong roofed portico on the south side (Makrynariki).
On the north side are two chapels and the belfry. The rest of the buildings
are organized around the catholicon: cells, abbot's quarters, school, refectory,
library, hostel. The wall paintings of the catholicon were executed in
1300-1333 and were continued in several periods, by various artists.
The monastery was founded in 1275-1278 by monk Ioannikios from Serres and a few years later it was renovated by his nephew, Ioakim, bishop of Zichne. It soon developed to an important monastic centre with great financial prosperity, because it was favoured by the Byzantine emperors. Patriarch George Scholarios (Gennadios) died here and was buried in the catholicon. The monastery, still functioning today, acquired its final form with the addition of many buildings during the Turkish occupation. In the years between 1972 and 1986 the roofs of several buildings were repaired. Since 1986 restoration has been carried out at the cells of the east wing and at the north wing. |
