Paros

In Parikia of Paros is the adornment of Panagia Ekatontapilianii, one of the greatest paleochristian monuments.

According to one tradition Santa Helena, mother of Saint Constantine, on her way to Jerusalem to find the rood, had to moor in Parikia of Paros.

She found there a church dedicated to Virgin Mary's Assumption, which according to older researchers is the chapel of Saint Nicolas.

According to another tradition, the same architect, who built Hagia Sofia in Constantinople, had also built this one during the reign of loustinianos.

Inside the church is the Byzantine museum of Parikia, which includes rare art icons, fretworks and other ecclesiastic relics from Byzantine and Turkish Domination periods.

The name Katapoliani occurred in regard of the location the church, near the ancient city, is built. The other name, Ekatontapiliani derives from the word ekatontapilos.