An unknown Byzantine estate (metochi) of the monastery Chilandar in Serres: The Saint Nicholas monastery of Kamenikaia

No abstractThis study presents the Byzantine monastery of Saint Nikolas Kamenikaia near Serres, owned by the monk Theodosius Melissenos. The foundation of the monastery is primarily dated from late 13th C; an effort is made to trace its historical evolution with the help of the records of the Chilandar monastery. The contribution of the Slav monk Callinicus, has been of great importance for the re-establishing of the monastery. Thanks to his efforts, the monastery was granted to him by emperor Andronicus II Paleologos (in 1321). Tow years later (1323) Callinicus ceded the monastery with all its pocession to the Serbian monastery Chilandar of Mt Athos. The monastery, under the protection of the Serbian princes, survived until its destruction approximately in 1571.The exact site of the monastery could be finally located, identified by the Byzantine ruins (photos 7, 8, 9), found by the author on the hill «Bes- sik-tepe» (photos 6, 10) of the actual district Ano Kamenikia of Serres