Archaeological Site at Potami, Karlovasi

At the site “Potami,” 3 km west of Karlovasi, significant remains of a Byzantine settlement survive, with monuments dating from the 11th to the 14th century. Visitors encounter the ruins of the Church of Saint Nicholas; the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos (or Transfiguration of the Savior), with a characteristic exterior decoration of blind arches influenced by Constantinopolitan art; and the small Byzantine castle on a rocky promontory above the river. Together these monuments form a cohesive ensemble that testifies to the area’s prosperity in Byzantine and Late Byzantine times.