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Greek icons
For Orthodox people, be they Greek or Russian, icons are of enormous importance. They represent the image of God who must be worshipped. You will see many of them in the numerous churches and chapels (photo opposite : icon with olive branches).



Painted or in silver
There are two types of incone. They are either painted onto wood with egg tempera paint, or decorated with siliver (see picture opposite).

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Where can one find icons in Greece?
You can find all sorts of reproductions of varying quality in the numerous boutiques of Athens, Heraklion on Crete, or other Greek towns. There are three types of icons : 1. genuine hand-painted icons which are therefore unique; 2. reproductions stuck onto wood and decorated with gold; 3. reproductions simply stuck onto wood. It’s the latter two that are most often to be found in the tourist shops, as in the Plaka quarter of Athens, for example (see photo opposite). It’s worth noting that a genuine artist will ask you which saint you’re looking for and not which graphic style.
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Painters’ workshops
You’ll find many of these in the town of Heraklion on Crete and in Athens where they are a speciality. The talent of the painters is not always greatly in evidence, but a thorough search will usually produce an artist to your taste!
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