The Metropolitan Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is located inside the eastern side of the wall of the castle of Komotini on Themistokli Sofouli Street. It is a four-naved, timber-framed church with a narthex, and its floor is below the level of the surrounding area. It was built in 1830, during the Turkish occupation, on the foundations of a pre-existing Byzantine church mentioned by the traveller Pierre Belon in 1548. The church has been restored and declared a historical monument. An important artistic highlight is the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis has intricate lace-like decorations, reflecting the continental school of art. In addition, the despotic throne and pulpit, dating from the early 19th century, are remarkable examples of craftsmanship. The second oldest church in Komotini is that of Agios Georgios, which is said to have been built after 1850 when the Ottoman administration implemented the Second Administrative Reform, giving freedoms to Ottoman citizens of other nationalities. It is located in the second oldest Christian quarter South of the Central Square. The two above churches, together with the chapel of Agia Paraskevi in the homonymous grove, are the only religious monuments of Komotini that predate the incorporation of Thrace into the Greek state. After the liberation, the churches of Agia Varvara, the Church of God's Wisdom, the New Agia Varvara, the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Theotokos, Agios Stylianos, Agios Kosmas the Aetolian and Agios Tryphon were built in succession.