Monastery of Great Meteoron, Kalabaka, Greece

The Monastery of Great Meteoron is the largest of the monasteries located at Meteora, though in 2015 there were only 3 monks in residence.

The Great Meteoro Monastery was founded in the mid-14th century by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite who was the first founder of the monastery and the systematic organizer. For this reason, the foundation of this monastery is considered to be a turning point, or even better, the beginning of the organized monastisicm in Holy Meteora. Hosios Athanasios was born around 1302 in the medieval town of New Patras, today’s Hypati.

The Katholikon (main church), consecrated in honour of the Transfiguration of Jesus was erected in the middle of the 14th century and 1387/88 and decorated in 1483 and 1552. The central courtyard is embellished with beautiful 16th century frescoes. Take time to gaze at the artistic details of some of the best samples of Greek Byzantine art and then rush to the museum, where historical codices and religious icons of high value are on display. Once you’ve reached the summit, a rewarding view awaits you and the monastery calls for exploration.

References:

Visit Meteora

fantastic place to visit if you get the chance TAKE IT!

User Reviews

John Luong (2 years ago)
Wonderful place to be with such unique geographical and manmade harmonious together. For the ladies, you need to have a big scarf to able to get in any monastery and all these places are not design for physically Challenge.

Norm Bour -Travel Younger (2 years ago)
It only looks difficult to get into, but it's not that bad! It's very reasonable that for euros, and they have a great museum that you cannot take photos or videos. Terrific views all the way around.

Bollo (2 years ago)
Definitely a place to see/experience once in a lifetime! You will enjoy breathtaking views and experience the greek history.

Carp Bogdan (2 years ago)
Great cultural experience. The construction itself is stunning and the place is pretty big for something built on a rock. The history of this place is really cool. The view is breathtaking.

Diane Le (2 years ago)
Enjoyed my time. The monastery allowed women to borrow shawls. But try to wear a skirt/dress. Men can wear shorts despite signs saying no shorts (from what was seen today).

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Monastery of Great Meteoron

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse