Church of Agia Aikaterini (St. Catherine)

This three-nave, vaulted church is located in the south-easternmost part of the Medieval City of Rhodes. Known in Ottoman times as “Ilk Mihrab” (meaning “Original Pilgrimage Stage”), it used to stand as the reminiscence of the first case of a Christian church in Rhodes that was converted to a Moslem mosque by order of Suleiman the Magnificent (1494-1566), after the Medieval City, along with the entire island of Rhodes, fell in the hands of the Ottomans in 1522.
This is a church of exceptional illustrative art, expressed in the multitude of frescoes varying in themes and styles dating from various epochs, covering several moments in time between the 14th and late 15th century. Throughout the church’s interior there are symbolic depictions of the Prayer, the Holly Mass celebrated by 10 Hierarchs of the church, scenes symbolizing holy days celebrating moments in the life of Jesus throughout the twelve months of the year, not to mention the multitude of Saintly figures. St. Catherine herself is depicted on the left side of the main entrance, standing next to St. Irene. Also depicted are Jesus and a male figure offering him a simulacrum of the shrine, the Last Supper, the Hospitality of Abraham as well as various scenes from the martyrdom of St. Catherine.