It is also a time of reawakening and celebrating the Resurrection of Christ. I find that this is my favorite time of the year to go to church. There is a special feeling that permeates the liturgies which are usually held in the evenings leading up to Easter. With all these sweet memories knocking around in my brain I thought I’d take you back to put a spotlight on the impressive Saint Andreas or Andrew’s Cathedral in Patra, Greece.
In this photo essay we will be exploring the exterior of the church and next month I’ll be sharing the interior which deserves a post all it’s own.
But most of all it is the home of this magnificent cathedral.
Construction of the church began in 1908 by the architect Anastasios Metaxas and was finally completed in 1974.
… a two-headed eagle with a crown on top. In this case it symbolizes the Church and State under one Empire, that being the Byzantine Empire.
And a fountain to cool us down during the hot summer days. I should mention here that the Cathedral is located a block away from the bay waters. It doesn’t get better than this.
This is the view on the right side of the Cathedral….
I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos of Impressive Saint Andrew’s Cathedral. If you would like to see more of my photography go to the photo gallery here.
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…what amazing details, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for visiting. Sometimes you don’t notice the details till you photograph them.
Beautiful building and your photography is impressive! Can’t wait for the interior.
It is such a big building. And you will not be disappointed with the interior.
Such a beautiful cathedral. I love all the ornamentation and details.
It is really magnificent and up close you can feel the expansiveness of it.
That is a gorgeous structure! Thank you for linking up today. Have a great weekend!!
Michelle it is even more impressive in person!
Oh my, the LIGHT! And those beautiful blue skies of Greece serve as a lovely backdrop for the church, which is truly lovely. I’m surprised it wasn’t finished until 1974. That’s fairly recent. I’ll be interested in seeing the inside too when you get around to showing that.
Florence that light is a blessing and a curse. At least for me. I love it all year long except summertime when it becomes blinding, I guess I have sensitive eyes. But the color is beautiful all year long.
7 500 worshipers!!!! Wow that’s huge. I wonder why it took so long to build? Although looking at all the detail, it’s probably understandable. I can’t wait to go inside through your camera lens Mary.
We had a few wars in between the start and finish. And then there was the great famine so all that did not help. But it is done now and the location is just amazing.
Your gorgeous photos make long to make a pilgrimage to this holy site.
If you ever go to Greece there are thousands of churches to visit.
Your photos are so beautiful. The cathedral is amazing. The details of the cathedral are superb.
It really is amazing. The reason that I separated this into two is because there is so much to see inside I was left breathless when I walked in.
Hi Mary, I’ve passed this church but never had time to stop and explore it, I bet it’s quite ornate inside. We only ever seem to visit Patra on a mission (usually medical), but we really should stop and smell the roses one day, but the ferries dictate the time… I love the feel of Easter here, I hope you get the same feeling over there too.
xx
Debbie I have been to Patra hundreds of times but I had to make an effort to go there because it isn’t in the center. When I saw it for the first time I couldn’t believe how big it was and then when I went inside… :O
Debbie I’ll be showing photos of the inside but to get the full hand experience you have to go in. If you ever have a few spare minutes go. It will be so worth it.
Here I am celebrating St. Paddy’s right now! But we should be getting the feel of Easter soon. I love going to church in the evenings in Greece it is magical!
A very impressive cathedral without a doubt. Fascinating that such a young building would feature a Byzantium coat of arms but it is all a part of Orthodox history if I am not mistaken, yes? #MySundayPhoto
I believe all of the Greek Orthodox churches have the coat of arms. And the Byzantine empire was part of our history. In fact the folks over at Constantinople still speak Greek. That’s what we call Istanbul.
The head of the Eastern Orthodox Church has it’s headquarters there also.
What an absolutely beautiful building – and great photos too #MySundayPhoto
Thank you. It was quite a revelation for me as I had been to the city many times but never seen this particular church before.
We visited Patras last summer, the cathedral is indeed very impressive
Fiona I lived near Patra and had never visited this wonderful church till this past year!!
What a beautiful church. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you Patrick, it was quite impressive!
Oh my! That is stunning!
What a gorgeous way to glorify God!
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Just wait till you see the inside!
Such a beautiful church. Magnificent architecture and artwork. Thank you!
Thank you Cathy, it truly is a sight to behold.
This building is so beautiful! I like all the details you were able to capture with your camera. I went to Patra a long time ago. We were exhausted after a month of travel and took a day to relax in the city.
I hope you were able to enjoy it. It can get crazy in the summertime in Greece. I usually get drained out from all the heat. In fact I took these photos in August of last year…in the heat! Haha!
I have been here! Super impressive! thanks for sharing!
I was stunned when I walked inside too! Hope you enjoyed it.
Its beautiful, Mary! Hard to image it isn’t that old considering when it was finished. I can only imagine how much you miss your beloved Greece.
Wow, this looks beautiful.
We are visiting Greece for the first time ever later this year but I don’t think we’ll be any where near Patra sadly.
A gorgeous cathedral Mary. Just large impressive churches really are a statement of love for god. You cannot help but be aware of all the pride and love those craftsmen put into creating that church, and all the love and worship that has occurred within it.
Thank you for sharing. Its truly beautiful.
Great shots
What a fantastic building! Wow. I love everything about it. Wonderful photos.
Thank you Betty. My jaw dropped when I walked in.