Saint Paraskevi church at Galifa
Near Galifa, province Pediada, the two-aisled church of Saint Paraskevi and Saint Panteleimon survives. The church, which was the temple of a small monastery, has been built near a gorge bed and access is possible thtough a narrow cement road of a few kilometers. The monastery, traces of which can be seen, was built here apparently because of the spring that exists inside the temple even today. The water is channeled into an external trough through a pipe.
The church we see today has been formed as a result of successive interventions in a single-aisled church of the 11th - 12th century. In this original temple, from which the south wall is preserved, was constructed internally with successive blind arches, a great reconstruction took place in the 13th century, when it was frescoed. The mural decoration is the work of a folk painter and is preserved in fragments. Its condition is betterin the sanctuary, with the scenes of the Ascension, frontal hierarchs, deacons and Panagia Nikopios (Virgin Mary the Victorious). The main church is dominated by large evangelical scenes, body-sized saints, as well as the representation of the founder of the temple in prayer.
In the 15th century the temple was extended to the west with the addition of a wider transverse narthex that was painted with evangelical scenes and a large number of scenes dedicated to Saint Paraskevi. To the north of the two niches of the narthex are also depicted Panagia Nikopios and two hierarchs in the semicircle, while in the south which is whitewashed, a part of Pantocrator can be seen. In the next phase, probably 16th century, the northern aisle was built, which communicates with the south aisle and survives in late reconstruction, reduced in length.
