Church of St. George (Georgioupoli)

The church of St George in the centre of Kournas, in Chania, is a settlement with interesting folk architecture. It was built at the end of the 12th century. In around 1230 was added in the south the single-room, wood roofed part of Christ.

Later the wooden roof was replaced by pointed-edged arches with arrows in the main aisles and semi - cylindric in the secondary ones. At the end of the 19th century some arch series, that divided the aisles and the southern wall of the initial basilica, were replaced by large arches for the unification of the room, while the narthex was demolished and a beautifully adorned belfry was added. The corners were supported by chiselled planks. Later two large windows were opened on the southern and the northern wall.

Inside was revealed by the works of the 13th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities under the wall plaster, partly preserved wall - painting decoration.

The initial decoration of Christ\'s aisle dates from the third decade of the 13th century, while later it was partly covered with the next layer of painting. The representation of the Prayer in the hollow of St George was also replaced by a newer one in the early 14th century. As to its architectural style the original church of St George is a sample of the evolution of the middle byzantine architecture in Crete with simplification of its elements.

The initial decoration confirms the fact that Crete during the middle byzantine period was, in artistic terms, an important province, which received high quality influences from the capital until about the middle of the 13th century.