The most important churches of the Late Byzantine period were built in Thessalonike by some of the leading personalities of the age, such as Niphon, patriarch of Constantinople (1310-1314), founder of the church of the Ayioi Apostoloi (Holy Apostles).
The majority are cruciform churches with dome, with the distinctive feature of the ambulatory on three sides. Only Prophitis Elias, at one time a monastery katholikon, was built in the "Athonite" type.
The exteriors of the churches were variegated with elaborate ceramic ornaments. In the other cities of Macedonia the humble single-aisled basilicas with timber roof were barely distinguishable from the surrounding houses.
Nevertheless, in the late 13th century, at Ochrid and Omorphokklisia, Kastoria, two splendid churches were built, influenced by the architecture of the despotate of Epirus in masonry and ceramic decoration.
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