Church of Agios Minas in Velventos

The Church of Agios Minas in Velventos is an important monument from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods, with distinctive architectural and historical complexity. The single-aisled wooden-roofed church, with a later narthex and balcony, is built on the ruins of an early Christian bathhouse, revealing the multi-layered history of the site.

The building shows two distinct construction phases: the initial construction (late 12th - early 13th century) with a characteristic apse and eastern wall, and the reconstruction in the 15th century following the Ottoman conquest, which included new walls and a reconfiguration of the space.

The interior decoration features rare frescoes from two chronological layers: the Annunciation and Transfiguration (early 13th century), and the Twelve Great Feasts, the Passion of Christ, and Saints (15th century).

The site also served as a cemetery, with multiple graves that enhance its historical significance. Significant restoration works (1996-1998) and the discovery of the early Byzantine bathhouse (2007) have highlighted its cultural role.

Today, the church stands as a unique testament to religious architecture and art from the Byzantine to the post-Byzantine period in the region of Kozani.