A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew’s Cathedral

ByJane & Sonja

When spring rolls around it is magical in Greece.  The trees bloom and the streets…

When spring rolls around it is magical in Greece.  The trees bloom and the streets all smell like a florist shop because everyone has flowers everywhere. 

​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. 
Outdoor shot of St. Andrew's Cathedral, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
Saint Andrew’s Cathedral is located in Patras, in the Peloponnese, a peninsula in the lower half of Greece. Patra is the third largest city in Greece and the regional capital of Western Greece. It is also a busy port city with ships traveling to Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The annual carnival is also hosted here.  

​But most of all it is the home of this magnificent cathedral.
Central photo of St. Andrew's Cathedral, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
Saint Andrew’s Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in Greece and the third largest in the Balkans at approximately 2,000 square meters, or 21,500 square feet with a capacity of 7,500 worshipers.
Looking up at St. Andrew's Cathdral, Patra Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
The church style is a Basilica with a central nave and aisles on either side. There is one central dome with windows on the upper level and 12 smaller domes on each tower and at the corners of the main building.
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The domes of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Patra Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
The church’s name is taken from Saint Andrew, who we also refer to as Protokletos or “the first called” because Saint Andrew was the first of the Apostles who was called by Jesus to join him as his disciple.  He was also the brother of Saint Peter. 
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Entrance to St. Andrew's Cathedral Patra Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
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​Construction of the church began in 1908 by the architect Anastasios Metaxas and was finally completed in 1974.
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St. Andrew's Cathedral Patra Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
This is the cultural center with a book store, where exhibitions are held.
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Bookstore and exhibition hall, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
Detail work of doors at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Patras Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
Above the main door is the symbol of the Byzantine coat of arms…
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Arch above the main door at St. Andrew's Cathedral Patras Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
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​… 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. 
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Detail work above the main door with the symbol of the two headed eagle, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
A detail of the carved marble along the sides of the doors. 
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Detail of carved marble around the doorway, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com

​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. 
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Marble fountain, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com

​This is the view on the right side of the Cathedral….
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The towers of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Patras Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
…which also happens to be an exact mirror image of the left side. 
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The towers on the left side of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Patras Greece, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
One last view from the south east side. It was built perfectly symmetrical.  
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Looking at the cathedral from the other side, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
I do wish I was there at this time of the year, in my opinion the best time before it gets sweltering hot.  And now that I have shared the exterior of the church prepare to be wowed next month as we enter the church proper. It truly is a sight to behold.  

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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Photo Essay of the largest church in Greece and the Balkans, Saint Andrew's Cathedral in Patra Greece, #Architecture #GreekCathedral #Basilica #ChurchDomes #Outdoorcourtyard #Photography #Photoessay, A Spotlight on Impressive Saint Andrew's Cathedral, www.theboondocksblog.com
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40 Comments

    1. Thank you for visiting. Sometimes you don’t notice the details till you photograph them.

  5. 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.

    1. 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.

  6. 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.

    1. 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.

  7. Your gorgeous photos make long to make a pilgrimage to this holy site.

    1. 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.

  9. 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

    1. 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!

  10. 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

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

    1. Fiona I lived near Patra and had never visited this wonderful church till this past year!!

  16. 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.

    1. 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!

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

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