St. Nikolaos Church in Ermoupolis

Visiting Syros, a Greek island in the middle of the Aegean (where the capital of the Cyclades - Ermoupolis - is located) I found the Church of St. Nikolaos as a wonder. It is located on a hill in the capital Ermoupolis and can be seen clearly from the ship, since it is in a prominent position between many buildings. The blue dome makes it stand out from other buildings.

The construction of the church commenced on the 28th of February 1889 and was finished on September 13th 1870. It was the biggest church of the liberated part of Greece. Its imposing dimensions, its beautiful, tall, marble bell towers, its marble entrances with ionic columns, the rosettes that elapse the church give monumental ancient Greek character. 

Eminent people, not only from Syros, ambassadors, ship-owners, businessmen, consuls from Greece, Russia, or other Balkan countries, dedicated to the church consecrated vessels, gospels, holy cups, blessing crosses, Epitaphs embroidered with gold. The interior of the church is overflowed with distinguished scintillations of light from the crystal chandeliers from Trieste since the days of Mary Theresa and the unique bronze chandeliers from Venice. 

The church also has an imposing and miraculous icon of Saint Nikolaos, which was painted and overlaid with silver in Moscow. The church also has an organ since 1968 and accompanies the choir, which is an exception within the Orthodox world, since the Byzantine tradition uses a monophonic system.