The Metropolitan church of Mytilene is located in the central market of the city and is dedicated to St. Athanasius. Dated at the end of the 16th – 17th century. and it is assumed that he has been a metropolitan since 1721.
It is a three-aisled basilica with a dome. The interior is decorated with naturalistic frescoes from 1901, works by the Lesbian painter Vasilios Kesaklis, The art of Lesvian woodcarving of the post-Byzantine period is reflected in the iconostasis, the pulpit and the despotic with subjects taken from nature. Also worth noting is the Holy Bank, which is covered with a wood-carved ciborium in which elements from the plant and animal decoration are depicted. They were crafted in 1738, according to a carved inscription on the despotic throne.
The thirty-three meter tall spire built of “sarmosak stones”, stones from the “Sharmosak” quarry in Asia Minor was erected in 1882 and shows elements of the Neo-Gothic style.
The silver altar with the indestructible body of St. is kept as a precious treasure in the temple. of Theodore Byzantium, patron saint of Mytilene, who was martyred at the end of the 18th century in our city.
Inside the holy temple there is a special crypt with access from the center of the soleus, which is a high priest group grave and all the high priests of Mytilene were buried during the period 1707-1783. There the holy relic of St. Theodorou during the years of slavery.
Valuable ecclesiastical relics, portable icons and liturgical vessels are also treasured in the temple.
