The Monastery of Perivoli at Antissa

To the southeast of the mountain village Antissa, in a lush green ravine, formed by the Voulgaris river one may reach the small Monastery of Perivoli. This is a nunnery dedicated to the veneration of the Presentation of the Theotokos (Eisodia) which was reconstituted in the Late Ottoman period. The monastery catholicon in its present form is a small two-aisled basilica topped with a wooden roof, attached to a narthex. The exterior of the church presents the typical features of church built in the Early Ottoman period on Lesvos. This is evident by the small size of this church, measuring a mere 9.25×14.00 m, its low ceiling and the narrow door openings with their low head jambs. The exterior features simple and sparse decoration and no reference to religious symbols. The church’s interior is covered by post-Byzantine wall paintings, notable for its iconographic content and origin.