The Church of Agioi Saranda on Mount Kouvara is located approximately in the middle of the western side of Andros, above the archaeological site of Palaiopolis. It was known to scholarship until recently as a flat-roofed, two-aisled church, which ends in two niches on the east. The excavation data so far show that it was originally a three-aisled, vaulted basilica with annexes to the south and a precinct wall. Based on the data available, it dates to the end of the early Byzantine period. The basilica was probably destroyed in the 8th century and rebuilt as a two-aisled church with a chapel. The two-aisled church and the chapel, which is situated to the south, underwent multiple repairs and reconstructions, which radically modified their original plan. During one of the later phases of the church, a circular building was constructed to its north, which probably served as an observation tower. The excavation and restoration of the church are ongoing.
Βibliography Athanassoulis D., Klotsa V., Papanikolopoulou S. “Ο ναός των Αγίων Σαράντα στο όρος Κουβάρα Άνδρου και τα νέα στοιχεία από την έρευνα της Εφορείας Αρχαιοτήτων Κυκλάδων (2016-2017)”, Πρακτικά του Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου με τίτλο: «Περὶ τῶν Κυκλάδων νήσων – Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στις Κυκλάδες», 22-26 Νοεμβρίου 2017.
