Meteora, Greece

Greece is a fabulous country with an ancient history. Who among us did not dream of finding ourselves among the mythical ruins of the Parthenon, walking through the ancient halls of Knossos, to see with their own eyes the summit of Olympus? Talk about the wealth and beauty of the country can be endless, but we can not fail to mention the mysterious and spiritual place - Meteora in Greece. This is the name of a complex of monasteries known to the whole world due to their unusual location.

Meteors, Greece: where are they located?

There are some of the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece Meteora in Kalambaka, or rather near this city in the north of the country. Not far from the village there are stone pillars - the mountains of Thessaly. These gigantic steep cliffs about 600 m high seemed to rush to the skies and hang in the air. It was here in the 10th centuries that hermits were sent to be alone with God. They lived in small caves and communicated among themselves on specially cultivated sites, discussing religious teachings and making joint prayers. And already in the XIII-XIV centuries monastic communities were established and monasteries were built directly on the peaks of almost vertical rocks, where robbers and robbers could not reach. The first monastery began to be built in 1336 on Mount Platys-Litos under the leadership of a monk from Athos Athanasius. After the construction of the first temple was completed, the monastic community of Meteora was established on the rocks in Greece. By the way, there is a point of view that it was Athanasius who gave monasteries the name "Meteor", then translated as "soaring in the air". In total, 24 monasteries were built. It is still unclear how the monks managed to build the structures, because they had to raise stones to the tops of the rocks. It is known that the inhabitants of Meteora monasteries climbed upwards thanks to a complex system of ropes, carts, nets.

Monastery complex Meteora in Greece today

To date, only six monasteries of Meteora in Greece remain active. Until 1920 the complex was completely closed to visitors by strangers. And since 1988, all the buildings on the tops of the mountains have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1. The main monastery of the complex is the Megalo-Meteoro, or the Great Meteora. The cathedral of the structure was built in 1388. There is also a museum of monastic jewelry and an exhibition of works of decorative crafts.
2. The monastery of St. Stephen in Meteora looks more like a fortress structure. In the heyday of the monastic community it was the richest and secular monastery. Now there are concerts of church music, exhibitions, a collection of church relics.
3. The monastery of Varlaam was built on the site of cells. Built in medieval traditions, the basilica is famous throughout the world for mosaics made of mother-of-pearl and ivory and collection of manuscripts.
4. The monastery of Agios Triados is famous for frescoes of the XVII century. Now only three monks live here.
5. The monastery of the Holy Trinity is famous for leading it to a staircase of 140 steps, is cut through the rock. There is a convent and the Church of St. John the Forerunner.
6. The monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsas surprises with unique frescos of Theophanes Strelidzas.

How to get to Meteora in Greece

To date, Meteora is one of the most visited places in Greece. The most convenient way to get to Meteora from the city of Thessaloniki or Chalkidiki is by renting a car or by bus. A few days will be needed to inspect all the remarkable places of the monastery complex. Since the mountains on which the monasteries are located hang over the town of Kalambaka, there should be no problems with overnight stays.