Church of Annunciation in Rhodes

The Church of Annunciation of Virgin in Rhodes Town, Dodecanese: The Church of the Annunciation of Virgin is the most famous church in Rhodes Town. Located north of Mandraki, the old port of the town, this church was constructed in the 1920s, during the Italian occupation of the island. The design was based on the architectural design of the Medieval Gothic Church of Saint John, adjacent to the Palace of Grand Master in Rhodes Old Town.

Originally, this church was Catholic and served the Italian Catholic community till 1948, when Rhodes and the other Dodecanese islands were reunified with mainland Greece. This year, the church was turned into a Greek Orthodox Church and in fact, it was declared the Cathedral of Rhodes. Along with the necessary decorative reformations to turn a Catholic church into an Orthodox, interesting frescoes were also painted in the interior by the renowned Greek painter, Fotis Kontoglou.

The exterior design of the church has Gothic-style doors and windows, arches and high ceilings. A tall bell tower with a clock is located at the side entrance of the church, facing the harbor. The Church of the Annunciation celebrated on March 25th with a large religious festival.