On the way to Ierissos, you might notice a barely visible building of the church, sitting on the southeast of the city. People believe there was a cave in the area, which served as a shelter for the saint, hiring from his enemies. The cave is still here. Furthermore, it is open for visiting.
Ierissos is a small resort settlement. It sits within the area of the ancient town of Akanthos, established in the VII century BC.
Akanthos was established northeast of the isthmus, connecting the Mt. Athos Peninsula with Halkidiki. From 530 BC, the city minted its own coins. The emblem of a lion killing the bull was their distinctive feature. Over 2,000 years ago, Akanthos was renamed into Ierissos. In 1932, the settlement survived the earthquake, which destroyed most of its buildings and led to the subsequent loss of life. Later, people rebuild it. An abandoned Byzantine church, the ruins of the fortification, and the constructions of the Hellenistic period are the only things here reminding of the disaster and the ancient history of the settlement.
The locals believe that the city was closely connected to the activity of the Apostle Paul, which is reflected by several legends.
According to one of them, the Apostle came to Akanthos to preach the Word of God. However, at that time, the city was full of fallen people who could not resist various sorts of temptations. The locals decided to kill him. The preacher had to flee to save his life. According to the legend, Paul hid from his pursuers in a herd of oxen in the eastern part of the city (at present, you can see the building of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul there). While people were looking for him, a rift appeared in the earth. It allowed Paul to escape to the first “finger” of Halkidiki – Kassandra. At present, you can find a small chapel named after the apostle in the vicinity of modern Nea Fokea.
Regarding the pursuers, one believes they were the residents of Ladiava, which came to Ierissos in 1700. The legend says Paul had cursed them before he hid the cave. According to the curse, they would never be able to eat beef again.
The first reference about the pilgrimage of Paul in Ierissos dates back to the XI century.
The worship of the apostle has deeply rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of different settlements within Halkidiki. Ierissos, for example, holds an annual celebration dedicated to the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. The celebration takes place by the church named after the saints. The same event takes place in Nea Fokea.
According to a legend, the place of the cave emergence was formerly known as a spring with holy waters. During the Byzantine period, people established a small church that was later named after the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The building was destroyed by the earthquake in 1932. It had taken more than 20 years before people rebuilt it. In the early 2000s, the building was renovated thanks to the funds of a trader and a multimillionaire John Carras.
The church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is usually open for visiting on weekdays. Visitors can pray inside the building and see the entry into the cave. It leads to the holy spring. On June 29, during the annual celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the locals are allowed to enter the underground passage.
There are many benches within the area of the church. They allow visitors to relax in the shade of the sycamore trees and admire the sea at a distance.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul sits southeast of modern Ierissos. You can easily notice her from the highway leading to Ouranoupolis. There are several ways to get here from Thessaloniki:
