In the left of the photo is part of the small coastal plain on which Kokkari stands. Land is at a premium, and olive and fruit trees are gradually losing ground to new houses and hotels. In the background are the steep, pine-forested hills below the lower slopes of Mount Ambelos (see gallery page 43).

Agios Nikolaos Church (Άγιος Νικόλαος Κοκκαρίου) has an area of 650 square metres, and is 44 metres tall, if you include the cross on top of the dome. It is the largest church and by far (so far) the largest building in Kokkari, towering above the other buildings. It also claims to be the sixth largest church in Greece and third largest in the Aegean. Built in the form of a rectangular basilica with an apse at the east end, its single dome rests on an octagonal drum, each face of which has a round window.

Like many other churches on Samos, part of the plain stone exterior has been painted in bright colours, and the dome is decorated with typically Samian blue and white vertical stripes.

The building of the Agios Nikolaos Church began in 1902 when Samos was still under Ottoman Turkish control as a semi-autonomous principality, ruled by Prince Alexander Mavrogenous (Ἀλέξανδρος Μαυρογένους, 1845-1929, ruled 1902-1904).

The intiative was led by the Metropolitan of Samos, Athanasios Kapouralis (Μητροπολίτη Σάμου Αθανάσιος Καπουράλης) and Kokkari's mayor, Photios Frangoulis Garoufalis (Φωτίος Φραγκούλης Γαρουφαλης). The money required for the construction was raised by a lottery set up with the permission of the prince and the Turkish authorities, and Angelos Angelidis (Άγγελος Αγγελίδης), who also designed churches in Vathy and Karlovasi [1], was appointed as architect.

It seems strange that the inhabitants of Kokkari decided to build such an enormous, expensive church in their small village. The present population is around 1,060 (according to the 2011 census), and must have been much smaller at the beginning of the 20th century. The building appears out of proportion to the villagers' needs, and one can only speculate that the church was planned as a status symbol for Kokkari and Samos, and as a defiant assertion of Orthodox Christianity on the island. This was the age when Christian denominations worldwide were building huge churches and cathedrals (see, for example Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, started 1904, completed 1978, at The Cheshire Cat Blog, February-March 2011).

The expensive building project ran into financial difficulties when permission to issue lottery tickets was withdrawn by Prince Andreas Kopasis (Ανδρέας Κοπάσης 1856-1912, ruled 1908-1912 [2]) in 1908. Construction was halted, and the church remained unfinished for 25 years.

The colourful pennants fluttering in the wind in the churchyard of Agios Nikolaos Church include the Greek flag and Christian symbols such as the fish and crosses in various forms.

1. Architect Angelos Angelidis

2. Prince Andreas Kopasis

Images and materials by other authors
have been attributed where applicable.

Please do not use these photos or articles without permission.

If you are interested in using any of the photos for your website,
publication or project, please get in contact.

Visit the My Favourite Planet Group on Facebook.