The church of Chora and the five neo-martyrs

The Church of the Assumption of Mary is the most important on the island. It's easy to spot, thanks to the church bell that towers above the red roofs of the traditional houses in the center of Chora.

The construction started in 1867 on the spot of an older church. According to documents from the era, inhabitants from all over Samothraki made various contributions like land, sheep, goats, jewels, honey, wax and cheese.

The church was consecrated in 1875, but the construction finished only in 1925, once the bell tower was completed. It has a basilica plan, with three distinct parallel spaces separated by rows of green-gray marble columns. The ceiling is made of wood, the same as the furniture and the iconostasis is adorned with three rows of painted icons.

The Church of Chora is home to the most beloved icon in Samothraki: the icon of Panagia Krimniotissa, from the Krimniotissa Chapel located in the south of the island on a rock, close to Pachia Ammos Beach.

Another relic that is kept here is the remains of the five neo-martyr saints. They hold an important role in the island's history and religious practices.

1821 was a tumultuous year for Greece and Samothraki was no exception. After a bloody revolt, the Ottomans took a lot of prisoners. Among them, there were five young men: Manouil, Georgios, Theodoros, Georgios the Young and Michail (of Cyprus). Together with other captives they were forced to convert to Islamism and were sold as slaves. A few years later, the five returned to Samothraki and, more importantly to Christianity, a fact that was not overlooked by the Turks. The consequences were tragic as they were imprisoned and tortured. The 6th of April, 1835 (on Saint Thomas Sunday) was the day of their execution in Makri, on the continent across the island. A hook that was used for hanging one of them is still preserved in the Church of Agia Anastasia in Makri.

The memory of the five is celebrated every year in Samothraki on Saint Thomas Sunday (the first Sunday after Easter). On this day, in the Church of Chora, a service attended by all the priests on the island is held, followed by the procession of the coffin that contains the remains of the martyrs and their icon.

Another celebration is on the 15th of August. The church is open all throughout the evening, a service is held and people come to pray to the icon of Krimniotissa and the Epitaph of the Virgin, decorated with flowers. There's a panigyri (a party with live music, dancing, food and drinks) in the square behind the church.

The Church of the Assumption of Mary is open every Sunday morning and during the important holy days. Father Mateos, a blue-eyed, gentle priest cares for the church and the old books printed in Venice between the 14th and 19th centuries.