Museums

There was a namesake metochi of the monastery in the region as early as the Byzantine period, with its first written reference in a chrysobull issued by emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos in 1311. During the post-Byzantine period, the metochi was mentioned in sources of 1569, where, apart from buildings, all areas under cultivation were also specified. In recent years, and especially following the Asia Minor catastrophe of 1922, refugees from Asia Minor settled in the region, and an American Red Cross hospital was established on the premises of the dependency, so that the needs of the patients were met. During the Nazi occupation (1941-1944), the complex was used as the local seat of the occupying forces. The complex fell into disuse after their departure; it was destroyed by fire in June 1960 and it succumbed to the ravages of time. In 1999, the entire site became property of the Ministry of Culture, which approved the ambitious project of the local Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities for the creation and operation of a center for the promotion of the Byzantine culture of Chalkidiki.

No building remains from the original dependency complex were identified. However, three buildings from the post-Byzantine period were preserved to a satisfactory degree, the restoration of which commenced and was completed for the purpose of hosting all the activities of the center. The large, two-storeyed building with the chapel (Central Building) was erected in 1884 and it hosts the Byzantine Museum of Chalkidiki and its permanent exhibition. The Old Building is next to it, built in 1853, which hosts periodic exhibitions, conferences and other initiatives related to the culture of Chalkidiki. The third building, a 1909 ground-floor building, hosts the Open Center for the Conservation of Antiquities, where visitors can be informed about the conservation of antiquities and works of art of the Byzantine period and educational programs on the art of conservation are also carried out.

In addition to the aforementioned buildings, the center will soon feature a modern Refreshment bar on the remains of a building, probably of a complementary nature, known as Kolligospito. The remaining area is a cultural arena open to the public, as well as a resting place for visitors.

All the above constitute the “Ioustinianos” Center of Byzantine Culture of Chalkidiki, which focuses on informing the public about the rich Byzantine and post-Byzantine past of Chalkidiki on the one hand, and on the other hand, on contributing to the entertainment and recreation of visitors in an open, outdoor area, away from the noise of the city and close to the tranquility and natural beauty of the peninsula.