The Church of the Monastery of Saint Kolli, Finiq

The Church of the Monastery of Saint Kolli is located in the south of Mesopotamia, in the ancient city of Finiq. The Monastery of Saint Kol is also known differently as the Monastery of Mesopotamia. It is thought to have been built in 306 AD by Constantine the Great and rebuilt by the emperor Constantine Monomaku, around the 11th century. Monk Nifon, originally from Lukova, also lived for a period of time in the Monastery of Saint Kolli.

The monastery is a monument of Cultural Heritage, approved in March 1948 as well as in October 1971. It is a Byzantine-style object, fortified like a castle by a high wall which surrounded the entire hill. The length of the temple is approximately 18 m and width 11 m.

This monastery is distinguished by its architectural feature of the surrounded structure system, the ceramic decoration of the upper parts of the walls and the space of the main nave. The main nave is double-sided and is covered by four towers that rest on the inner walls and a central column. The narthex is covered with three semi-circular domes, with three gabled roofs and is separated from the central nave by four columns.

The cypresses and centuries-old olive trees that are inevitable in every cult object add charm to the surrounding view. The Monastery of Saint Kolli remains an attraction to visit, for its history and the amazing structure that characterizes it, as part of the area's centuries-old cultural heritage.