The Virgin Mary of the Akathist Hymn Church

The Virgin Mary of the Akathist Hymn Church features a striking blue dome that rises above the white, terraced buildings of Oia. While most churches here are ancient, this structure dates to the nineteen seventies. It replaced an earlier chapel damaged in the nineteen fifty-six earthquake that leveled much of the village. Local residents rebuilt it to preserve the specific tradition of the Akathist Hymn, a series of devotional prayers sung during Lent, which gives the church its name.