Øyestad Church


Øyestad Church is a parish church in Arendal municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the village of Rykene, on the north side of the river Nidelva. It is the church for the Øyestad parish which is part of the Arendal prosti in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, stone church was built around the year 1200 by an unknown architect. The church seats about 250 people. The main body of the church is whitewashed stone, but the main entrance and tower are wooden and painted red.
The church is sometimes referred to as the "old" Øyestad Church because in 1884, the "new" Øyestad Church was completed in the nearby village of Bjorbekk. That new church is also known as the Bjorbekk Church.