Church of Saint Irene in Sougia
To the north of the Sougia settlement, the church of Saint Irene (Agia Irini) is preserved in the architectural type of the single-nave church with a dome, to which an arched-roof narthex was added in a second stage. The original church dates back to the 13th century and its architectural features are linked to the tradition of the so-called Greek School of church architecture.
The eastern and western extensions (antennas) of the original temple are structured on the long with narrow and arched walls, while the two larger arches form the north wall of the narthex. An early Christian pillar has been used as a column for supporting the arches.
The fragmentary surviving fresco decoration with scenes of the Christological circle and saints, unveiled in 2008, was probably painted around 1300 by the well-known Cretan painter Theodoros - Daniel Veneris. One should specially mention the scene of Christ Pantocrator on the dome, the representation of the Stone on the north antenna and the frontal full body Christ on the west antenna.
