Roadside Greek Orthodox Shrines

Greece is an overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian country. There are large cathedrals in the major cities of Athens and Thessaloniki, and little chapels all over. Several Greek islands proudly announce having 365 chapels, one for each day of the year.

Another very distinctive thing you will see in Greece, at least on the mainland outside the major cities, is the roadside shrine.

Some of them are quite simple, like this all metal one along the road between Nafplio and Tiryns.

Greek Orthodox shrine along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns.

All metal shrine next to an orange orchard along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns.

Greek Orthodox shrine at Moni Agiou Nikolaou Anapafsa, at Meteora.

Elaborate shrine at Moni Agiou Nikolaou Anapafsa at Meteora.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the ones like miniature churches on masonry columns, like this one outside Moni Agiou Nikolaou Anapafsa, a monastery at Meteora.

Well, it is a monastery, after all, and so we might expect a bit more here. But many privately owned shrines are at least as elaborate.

Greek Orthodox shrine at Meteora.

Shrine along the road joining the monasteries at Meteora.

The one at right is along a road joining the monasteries scattered across the sharp peaks of Meteora.

The inscription reads: Εις Μνημην Νικολαου Δ. Κατσιμπα Οικογενειας Αχιλλεα Καραμετου 1985. Or, I think, Memorial to Nikolaou D. Katsimpas from the family of Achilles Karametou, 1985.

Below you can see its contents. Several small icons, a small oil lamp, and a water bottle holding oil for the lamp. The lamp is burning, as they frequently are in roadside shrines. This means that someone has recently visited this shrine and tended the lamp.

Interior of Greek Orthodox shrine at Meteora.    Interior of Greek Orthodox shrine at Meteora.
Greek Orthodox shrine at Kastraki, below Meteora.

Simple metal shrine in Kastraki.

This relatively simple metal shrine is in Kastraki, the town below the pinnacles and monasteries of Meteora.

Interior of a Greek Orthodox shrine at Kastraki, below Meteora.

Interior, with water bottle holding oil, icons, and small lamp.

Greek Orthodox shrine at Kastraki, below Meteora.

A small brick structure.

Interior of Greek Orthodox shrine at Kastraki, below Meteora.

Open interior.

This much more elaborate shrine is also in Kastraki, below Meteora. It is really a small brick structure. It holds several icons, and a candle instead of an oil lamp.

Greek Orthodox shrine between Kastraki and Kalambaka, below Meteora.

Along the road between Kastraki and Kalambaka.

Greek Orthodox shrine between Kastraki and Kalambaka, below Meteora.

Along the road between Kastraki and Kalambaka.

This shrine is along the road between Kastraki and Kalambaka, where you would arrive by train for a visit to Meteora. It's a walk of just a couple of kilometers from Kalambaka to Kastraki, up over this low hill and past this roadside shrine.

Icons and oil lamp in a Greek Orthodox shrine between Kastraki and Kalambaka, below Meteora.

Interior of shrine.

Greek Orthodox shrine at Delphi.

This shrine, with a lot of glass, is along the highway just outside the ancient sacred site of Delphi.

Oil lamp and icons in a Greek Orthodox shrine at Delphi. Oil lamp and icons in a Greek Orthodox shrine at Delphi.
Greek Orthodox shrine in Argos.

In the town of Argos

Greek Orthodox shrine in Argos.

Dedicated to Agios Georgios, Saint George.

This stone shrine with a clay tile roof is in the town of Argos, in the Peloponnese, near the ancient sites of Tiryns and Mycenae.

Interior of Greek Orthodox shrine in Argos.

Interior: Oil, icons, and lamp.

Icons and oil lamp in a Greek Orthodox shrine in Argos.

The oil lamp.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns.

Greek Orthodox shrine, telecommunications cabinet, and potted plants outside Nafplio.

Telecommunications box and shrine.

This handsome prefabricated shrine is along the highway between Nafplio and the ancient citadel of Tiryns.

Icons and picture of the deceased in a Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Icons and a picture.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns.

This chapel and shrine are also along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns. I believe they are associated with the district police headquarters.

The shrine and chapel are dedicated to Αγια Ευφημια, Agia Efthimia.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio, dedicated to Saint Efthimia.
Interior of Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio, dedicated to Saint Efthimia.
Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Along the highway between Nafplio and Tiryns.

This shrine is just a hundred meters down the highway toward Nafplio.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Interior: Icon, lamp, and candle.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside Nafplio.

Across from the Nafplio jail.

This shrine, at the intersection of a small road and the main highway, is right across from Nafplio's jail.

So by now you're wondering how you, too, might get your own roadside shrine. You could build one, but that might be complicated.

Greek Orthodox shrine outside a garden supply business in Nafplio.

Shrine outside a garden supply center in Nafplio.

Greek Orthodox shrines for sale in a garden supply business in Nafplio.

Shrines on sale at a garden supply center in Nafplio.

These days you can simply go to a garden supply center and buy one!

Here they are, along with large flowerpots, fake wells, decorative columns, and potted plants.

More pictures! Pick your destination:

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Greek language study guide
The Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Athens and Cape Sounion

Moni Varlaam monastery in Meteora.

Meteora

Tholos monument in Delphi, Greece.

Delphi

Entrance to a beehive or tholos tomb in Mycenae, in the Peloponnese, Greece.

Mycenae

Immense stone walls of the defenses of the Mycenaean city of Tiryns, in the Peloponnese, Greece.

Tiryns

Cruise ships in the Santorini caldera.

Santorini (Thira)

Waterfront dining watching the sunset on Mykonos.

Mykonos

Ios port.

Ios

Windmill at the port on the island of Paros.

Paros

Sunset over Ios harbor.

Other Islands —
Patmos, Rhodes, Naxos, Samos

Akrokorinthos above ancient Korinthos.

The Peloponnese —
Corinthia and Olympia

The White Tower on the Thessaloniki waterfront.

Thessaloniki

Greek horiatiki salata, or village salad, or country salad, called 'Greek salad' by people other than Greeks.

Greek Food and Drink

Roadside Greek Orthodox shrine in Meteora, northern Greece.

Roadside Greek Orthodox shrines

Greek ferry loading at the port on Ios.

Island hopping by ferry

Greek train, OSE railway, at Kalambaka.

Greek train travel

Greek bus station in Athens.

Greek bus travel

Greek Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, near Athens.

All the way back to the introduction

Greek squat toilet.

How is the plumbing?

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Greek language study guide

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