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Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Toxteth facts for kids

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Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in Liverpool
St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

The Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas is a beautiful church in Liverpool, England. It is located in an area called Toxteth. This church is a very important building, listed as Grade II, which means it has special historical or architectural value. The church was finished in 1870. It was designed by architects W. & J. Hay and built by Henry Sumners. The church's style is called Neo-Byzantine architecture, which looks like old churches from the Byzantine Empire. It is even a bigger version of a church in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey).

A Special Place in Liverpool

The St Nicholas Church was built in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. At that time, many rich people in Liverpool were building large, fancy homes there. The church stands among these grand houses. It is also near other important places of worship. These buildings showed how wealthy and diverse the people of Victorian England were. Right next to St Nicholas Church, you can find the Princes Road Synagogue. There is also an early French Gothic style Welsh Presbyterian Church. This shows how different communities lived and worshipped together in the area.

Church Design and Features

The outside of the church is very fancy and detailed. It has many arches, one inside another. These arches are made with alternating bands of white stone and red brick. There are three domes on the front porch of the church. A fourth, larger dome sits over the main part of the church, called the nave. All these domes are raised on round bases called drums. Inside, the church is surprisingly simple compared to its outside. It has white marble columns and special tops on the columns called Byzantine capitals.

Images for kids

  • Nave of the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Toxteth 2

    The main hall (nave) as seen from the balcony.

  • Central dome of the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, Toxteth 2

    A view looking up at the roof and the central dome.

  • Pulpit of the Greek Orthodox church of St Nicholas, Toxteth 1

    The pulpit, where sermons are given, on the north side.

  • Iconostasis of the Greek Othodox church of St Nicholas 2

    The central part of the iconostasis, a screen with icons, showing the Beautiful Doors.

  • Sanctuary of Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas

    The sanctuary, the holy area behind the Beautiful Doors.

More to Explore

Find Out More

  • See pictures of the Church of St Nicholas at Liverpool Pictorial (archived)
  • Read a description of the Church of St Nicholas (page 2) from Heritage Open Days (archived)
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