The Panagia Odigitria was the most important religious relic of Kato Panagia in Erythraia and the holiest symbol for the village's inhabitants.

According to local tradition, the icon was considered one of the ancient copies of the Virgin Mary attributed to the Evangelist Luke. It was richly adorned with gold and silver offerings, coins, pearls, and precious votive gifts, and the inhabitants regarded it as miraculous.

The icon that gave the village its name

The history of the icon is inextricably linked to the history of Kato Panagia itself.

According to tradition, the icon was originally housed in a small church at the area's seaside *metochi* (monastic dependency). Despite attempts to move it to the upper village, the icon would always "return" to the spot where the settlement of Kato Panagia later developed.

Around this small chapel, the community that was destined to take its name from the Virgin Mary gradually formed.

The village's large church

Over the years, the small church was replaced by the magnificent Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which became the religious and social center of the community.

The church stood out for its size and architecture, while its fame had spread throughout Erythraia and the wider region of Smyrna.

The Catastrophe of 1922

During the first persecution of 1914, the icon was transported to Chios along with the village's inhabitants and returned to its homeland after the Greek landing of 1919.

However, in 1922, its fate was different.

Amidst the turmoil of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the historic icon was lost forever, along with a large part of the cultural and religious heritage of Kato Panagia.

The rebirth of memory

After the refugees settled in Kato Panagia Kyllinis, the residents decided to create a faithful replica of the lost icon.

The iconography was executed based on the descriptions of an elderly nun from Cesme who had seen the original icon prior to 1922.

The silver cover of the icon was crafted by the Athonite monk Ioasaf Bellas.

On June 12, 1980, the new icon of the Virgin Mary Hodegetria was ceremoniously transported to Kato Panagia Kyllinis, symbolizing the continuity of historical memory and the faith of the refugees.

A symbol of Kato Panagia

Today, the Virgin Mary Odigitria remains the most important spiritual symbol of Kato Panagia and a living link between the unforgettable homeland of Erythraia and the younger generations of the refugees' descendants.