Visitors say
Beautiful church within the territory of the old city. It requires a little attention, do not pass it by as it is in a narrow street that seems like a dead end.
Very beautiful from the inside..it is also honored on the feast of Saint Porphyrios on December 2nd...
About
The Holy Temple of Agioi Theodoroi stands as a quiet beacon of Orthodox faith near the village of Alyfanda on the eastern slopes of Lesvos, dedicated to the two soldier-saints Theodore Tyron and Theodore Stratelates, both venerated in the Greek Orthodox tradition. These twin martyrs, who gave their lives for their Christian faith during the era of Roman persecution, are among the most beloved military saints of the Eastern Church, and their shared feast day in late February draws faithful from surrounding villages to this intimate rural sanctuary. Churches bearing their name have long served as spiritual waypoints across the Aegean world, and this temple continues that tradition amid the olive-draped landscape of the Lesvos interior.
Visitors who seek out the temple will find the unhurried atmosphere that defines religious life in rural Lesvos, where small churches like this one remain active centres of community devotion rather than mere historical monuments. The interior is likely adorned with the characteristic iconostasis and Byzantine-style iconography typical of Greek Orthodox village churches, offering a moment of cool, fragrant stillness after the sun-washed roads outside. Whether you arrive during a liturgy, a local feast day, or simply to pause in contemplation, the temple offers a genuine window into the living religious culture of the island.
For travellers exploring the quieter inland reaches of Lesvos beyond the well-trodden coastal routes, stopping at a church like Agioi Theodoroi is a reminder that the island's spiritual geography is as rich as its natural one. The surrounding area near Alyfanda sits within a part of Lesvos characterised by traditional settlements and agricultural landscapes, making the temple a fitting companion to an afternoon spent discovering the island's less-visited heartland.
Before you go
What to expect
Step inside and you'll find the dim, incense-scented interior of an active Orthodox parish — candles burning before the icons, a richly carved iconostasis, and a hush that invites a moment of stillness. This is a working church, not a tourist attraction, which keeps the atmosphere genuine and unscripted. The contrast with the busy streets of Mytilene just outside makes the sanctuary's calm all the more striking.
Best time to visit
Open year-round; the feast day of the two Theodoroi in late February draws the most local worshippers and is worth timing a visit around.
How to get there
The temple sits roughly 0.2 km from central Mytilene, making it an easy stroll from the port or the main square — no car needed.
Details
Photos
Visitor Reviews
sevi papa
June 2025
Anastasia My
August 2024
Κική Κώτσου
May 2024
Βασίλης Καραγεωργίου
July 2023
Koostas2001 C
December 2022
Very beautiful from the inside..it is also honored on the feast of Saint Porphyrios on December 2nd...
DIMITRIS REPPAS
September 2022
Xaris Deve
April 2022
The iconostasis in the photo is of Saint Symeon and not of Saint Theodore.
Panos Golden
March 2021
One of the historical churches in Mytilene that anyone should visit. There are also many miraculous icons inside the church, each with its own story, which was explained to us by the Vicar of the church, who I must say is one of the people who won me over with his words because nowadays there are few priests with Orthodox ethos and positions. I think that every visitor should get to know both the church in question and its vicar.
ΔΗΜΟΣΘΕΝΗΣ ΖΙΟΥΛΑΣ
May 2020
Beautiful church within the territory of the old city. It requires a little attention, do not pass it by as it is in a narrow street that seems like a dead end.
Γεωργία Καραμαυροδή
May 2020
About 15 years ago I had visited Mytilene as an excursion, to be honest, on the last day before I left the island I passed by this church which I hadn't even seen which Saint it was dedicated to and I went in to light a candle, there were some pilgrims there who dipped cotton in the oil where the lit candle was, so I did the same but my cotton caught fire and because I didn't want it to fall on me because there were carpets spread out underneath and I said not to set the church on fire, I tried to hold it in my hands as a result it ended up falling on me and going out on its own. The reaction of the people made me believe that I had committed the biggest sin in the world. When the man from the church came there and they told him what happened he simply picked it up from underneath, wrapped it in aluminum foil and gave it to me to take home. So, as my hands were oiled (after all this struggle) I made the sign of the cross on my neck. I did it on my neck because I had a reason....I suffered for many, many years (at least 7 years) from daily and incessant pain, especially at night it was a torture for me and my loved ones, with warm cloths and scarves winter and summer, with tears and nerves, what can I tell you... and no doctor could find a cause. From that day on, everything ended...I never had pain again. Praise God, praise Saint Theodore.
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