Church of Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai
The church of Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai (Greek: Άγιος Παντελεήμων Αχαρνών) is a Greek Orthodox basilica in the center of Athens. It has a maximum length of 63 m and width 48 m and it is the biggest church of Greece. The church is in the downtown of the modern city of Athens, close to the high-traffic Acharnon Avenue.
| Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Greek Orthodox |
| District | Archbishopric of Athens |
| Location | |
| Location | Athens, Greece |
| Geographic coordinates | 38.0075°N 23.728889°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Ioannis Papadakis, Georgios Nomikos |
| Style | Byzantine Revival architecture |
| Completed | 1930 (partly) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,400 m2 |
| Length | 63 m (outer) |
| Width | 48 m (outer) |
The foundations of the church were laid on 12 September 1910 by King George I of Greece and it was consecrated on 22 June 1930. The church's interior paintings were created by the painter Giannis Karouzos (1937-2013). It took him 23 years to complete the painting of the 6,000 m2 surface of the interior walls of the church.
Other sources consider Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Patras, and not Church of Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai, as the largest orthodox church in Greece.