Saint Nikitas, Fanes

In the traditional and historical village of Fanes, the church of Saint Nikitas, patron saint of Reserve Officers, celebrates on September 15. It is the parish church of Fanes and is located very close to the provincial road Ialyssos-Kattavia. It was built in 1864 in the architectural type of the single-naved cruciform church, as documented in an inscription. It is decorated in its entirety with more recent frescoes and it has an elaborate wood-carved iconostasis. It is found 26 kilometres from the city of Rhodes. The celebration of Saint Nikitas is organized by the 95 ADTE (Higher Command of the National Guard Battalions) of Rhodes while, usually, present at the celebration are representatives of the Ministry of Defense as well as representatives of the local authorities. On the eve of the celebration, a festive vespers is held with a multitude of locals and visitors of the island who rush to honor the Saint, and then follows a procession of the icon of Saint Nikitas through the narrow streets of the village accompanied by a philharmonic and an honorary military regiment. After the conclusion of ceremonies, festive events organized by the cultural associations of the surrounding areas take place in the churchyard and the exterior spaces of the church. To the northeast, not far from here, we find the holy church of Saint Luke the Evangelist, the patron saint of Soroni. To the southwest we see the archaeological site of Kameiros. Another remarkable building of tourist interest is the wine museum in Fanes, which includes exhibits from the various stages of wine processing and winemaking.