Church of the Archangels on Stisichorou Str.

The church of the Archangels, an oasis of calm, some meters from the bustling Syntagma Square, offers to its visitor moments of peace and reverence. Behind the presidential mansion, downtown Athens, in this church lurks a part of history, a part of our National Rebirth is being safekept.

A marble plaque at the entrance of the church has a crucifix carved over it as well as the inscription ‘HOLY CHURCH OF THE ARCHANGELS OF THE AMALIION’. The ‘Amaliion Girls’ Orphanage’ as it was named, was founded on the 8^th of June 1855. Princess Maria Ypsilanti née Mourouzi, a woman with a large fortune, was a leading figure in the creation of the orphanage, near the palace, at the site where today the church is situated, to take care for the children, who had been left orphans from the cholera epidemic which had decimated the population of the city of Athens. The project was placed under the aegis of Queen Amalia  from whom after all it obtained its name.

It is an especially simple and austere church. Eight marble steps lead the faithful to the western entrance of the church. On either side of the entrance stand two marble columns with carved decorative capitals, while over the central gate there has been placed   an icon of the Archangels. Externally, a decorative dentil course surrounds the upper parts of the walls of the church.

The church is one-transept, without special features. The elaborate hand crafted wood-carved iconostasis divides the Holy Bema from the nave. The communication of the Sanctuary with the nave is made via three gates, the Holy Gate, the northern and the southern gate. Wood-carved is also the bishop throne. The Sanctuary has a semicircular interior and a three-sided exterior conch.

The conch of the Holy Bema is the point which unites the floor with the roof of the church and symbolizes the union of the earth with the heaven. At this point is depicted the Platytera of the Heavens, seated on a throne, holding Jesus on her knees, in childhood, with him blessing. She is framed by Archangels Michael and Gabriel, who stand to her right and left, in prayer position. Around Virgin Mary, on the space over the conch of the Sanctuary, there are crafted prophets within busts.

Within a special wooden display case, left to the bishop throne, at a high point, one can observe two lekythi. The  gold-plated lekythos conceals the heart of Georgios Ipsilantis and the silver-plated lekythos keeps the heart of Alexandros Ypsilantis. Alexandros Ypsilantis had requested that his heart be transported to Greece and it was this wish of his that the widow of his brother, Maria Ypsilanti wanted to fulfil. Thus, she decided to conceal the hearts in the chapel of the Archangels. The priest of the church placed them in a crypt, probably near the Holy Prothesis. Years onwards, the crypt was revealed and it was decided that they be placed in a special display case, in the nave, as a national relic.