Kos Basilicas of Saint Stephen

Location: Kamari

Located on a rocky spot just above Agios Stefanos Beach, 37 km southwest of Kos Town, the Basilicas of Saint Stephen is a complex of two early Christian churches dating to the 5th and 6th century AD. There is a larger church on the southern side of the rock and a smaller one on the north. These churches shared a baptistery and were connected to the neighboring islet of Kastri with a bridge that was later destroyed by an earthquake.

The southern basilica was three-aisled with two rows of columns, a semicircular vault on the east, and a rectangular narthex on the west. This narthex had two entrances, while the church floor was covered with beautiful mosaics depicting birds. The three naves of the temple were separated by columns made of white marble. The church is believed to have served as the main religious center of the island during Byzantine times.

The northern basilica was also three-aisled but smaller in size. It belonged to the cemetery that once existed there and was thus characterized as a funerary basilica. Located between the two churches was a rectangular building that served as a baptistery for both of them.

This ancient site was discovered in 1932 by the Italian archaeologist Luciano Lorenzi. Excavations lasted from 1935 to 1943, while some Ionic columns were discovered on the shore. A cross-shaped baptistery and a system for draining water into the sea were also found near the two basilicas.