St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Portsmouth NH

Welcome to our website

  

Πατήστε την Ελληνική γλώσσα στην επιλογή γλωσσών για να μεταφραστεί η σελίδα στα Ελληνικά

Welcome to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Portsmouth NH

This web site describes the process for making icons, gives narrative summaries of each icon's subjects and includes photographs of the icons in the St Nicholas Church. The Church has a total of 77 icons on its walls, ceilings, rotunda and choir loft fascia.

In early 2002, the parishioners of St. Nicholas Church embarked upon a very ambitious project to add icons to its Church walls.

Introduction

The Church itself has a traditional Byzantine architectural style, with the center dome and the footprint in the shape of a cross. The church structure is modeled after many island churches typical in Greece. Between the altar and the upper Solea is a wall adorned with icons with a central doorway called "Royal Doors." This wall is referred to as the iconostasis, and is characteristic of all Orthodox churches.

Iconostasis

Iconostasis

Previous iconography was painted on the church iconostasis and on the walls over and behind the altar. As is found in all Greek Orthodox Churches, the icon immediately right of the doors is Christ and immediately left, Mary and the Christ Child.

Next on the right is St. John the Baptist, and on the left, the Church patron Saint, in this case, St. Nicholas. On either side of these Saints are icon doors with Archangels Gabriel and Michael. Some of the more recent iconography is seen on both sides of the iconostasis. Note the iconography work in progress on the left and right of photo.