Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Agiasos

The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Agiasos, known as “Panagia of Agiasos,” is one of Lesvos’ most important shrines, with a history beginning in the Iconoclast period. The first church was built in 1170 on the site where the bones of the hieromonk Agathon the Ephesian were buried; he had brought from Jerusalem the icon of the Virgin “Hagia Sion.” Successive churches were erected, with the present one built in 1815, after permission from Sultan Mahmud II, as a three-aisled basilica with an exonarthex. The interior impresses with rich décor, a marble iconostasis of the early 19th century and noteworthy portable icons dating from the 10th to the 19th century. Of special importance is the miraculous icon of the Panagia, found in 1938 hidden inside a newer copy. Next to the church operates an ecclesiastical museum, while every 15 August crowds of faithful gather in Agiasos for the great festival of the Panagia.