Church of Archangel Michael, Ano Viannos

The area around the church was known in antiquity as the “Field of Ares.” Marble cylindrical columns were discovered here, likely remnants of a temple dedicated to the god Ares, where the ancient people of Vienna held the “hekatomphonia” in his honour.

With the rise of Christianity, the temple of Ares was transformed into a church dedicated to Archangel Michael.

When the Turks arrived in Viannos, they destroyed the church’s frescoes and converted it into a mosque. Shortly afterwards, they built a minaret in the courtyard, incorporating the ancient columns from the temple of Ares into its balcony.

The building remained a mosque until 1898.

After the Turks left, the locals demolished the mosque and built a new, majestic church in its place.

During the excavation for the new foundations, old Christian tombs were found, indicating that the original church of Archangel Michael had also served as a cemetery.