Saint Mamas at Exeles: An Unusual Case of Ritual Piety on Karpathos

The church of Saint Mamas is a small, domed structure that lies close to Menetes village in Karpathos. It preserves most its painted decoration, consisting the scene Ascension Christ on dome and saintly figures rest surfaces. A dedicatory inscription, read here for first time, dates frescoes 1312/3 places them broader context precisely dated monuments. Certain features iconographic program, such as presence healer saints (Panteleemon Kyprianos) but mostly officiating Pope Sylvester passage used codex Pantocrator apse altar, lead us interesting conclusions concerning, among other things, perception anti-Latin propaganda islands South Aegean. Also, stylistic affinities between art Karpathos Crete corroborate diachronic interrelations two islands. an exceptional example one few Byzantine-decorated monuments survive island.