The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a
rock formation
A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sedime ...
in central
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
monasteries, second in importance only to
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the peni ...
.
[Sofianos, D.Z.: "Metéora". Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro, 1991.] The six (of an original twenty-four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the twenty-four monasteries were established atop the rocks.
Meteora is located near the town of
Kalabaka at the northwestern edge of the
Plain of Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessa ...
near the
Pineios river and
Pindus Mountains.
Meteora was added to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
in 1988 because of the outstanding architecture and beauty of the complex, in addition to its religious and artistic significance.
The name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to ''
meteor
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mi ...
''.
Geology
Beside the
Pindos Mountains, in the western region of
Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...
, these unique and enormous columns of rock rise precipitously from the ground. But their unusual form is not easy to explain geologically. They are not
volcanic plugs
A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged ma ...
of hard igneous rock typical elsewhere, but the rocks are composed of a mixture of
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
and
conglomerate
Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to:
* Conglomerate (company)
* Conglomerate (geology)
* Conglomerate (mathematics)
In popular culture:
* The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes
** ...
.
The conglomerate was formed of deposits of stone, sand, and mud from streams flowing into a delta at the edge of a lake, over millions of years. About 60 million years ago during the
Paleogene period a series of earth movements pushed the
seabed
The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as 'seabeds'.
The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most o ...
upward, creating a high
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
and causing many vertical
fault lines in the thick layer of sandstone. The huge rock pillars were then formed by
weathering
Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with water, atmospheric gases, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs '' in situ'' (on site, with little or no movement ...
by water, wind, and extremes of temperature on the vertical faults. It is unusual that this conglomerate formation and type of weathering are confined to a relatively localised area within the surrounding mountain formation. The complex is referred to an exhumed continental remnant of
Pangean association.
This type of rock formation and weathering process has happened in many other places locally and throughout the world, but what makes Meteora's appearance special is the uniformity of the sedimentary rock constituents deposited over millions of years leaving few signs of vertical layering, and the localised abrupt vertical weathering.
Excavations and research have discovered
petrified
In geology, petrifaction or petrification () is the process by which organic material becomes a fossil through the replacement of the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals. Petrified wood typifies this p ...
diatoms
A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...
, which have contributed to understanding the Palaeo-climate and
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
s.
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon.
The method was de ...
evidences human presence dating back 50,000 years.
The cave used to be open to the public, but is currently closed indefinitely, for safety inspections.
Vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic charac ...
grows thickly out of the vertical rock walls mainly due to the water that one is able to find in the cracks and crevices that scale the cliff. Over the past several hundred years, the reports that the Meteora was easily accessible by foot have changed because now one must pass through a impenetrable jungle.
Being such massive unpredictable rock pillars, rock falls pose a constant threat to
pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...
s and
tourists of Meteora. An earthquake of magnitude 7 on the
Richter Scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
shook the rocks in
1954
Events
January
* January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany.
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
, miraculously the thin pillars still stand today. In 2005, such a massive rock fell it closed the access road leading up to Meteora for days.
History
Archaeology
Theopetra Cave
Theopetra Cave is a limestone cave located in Theopetra village of Meteora municipality, Thessaly, Greece. It is situated on the northeast side of a limestone rock formation that is south of Kalambaka. The site has become increasingly important ...
is located from
Kalambaka. Its uniqueness from an archeological perspective is that a single site contains records of two greatly significant cultural transitions: the replacement of
Neanderthals
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While ...
by modern humans and later, the transition from hunting-gathering to farming after the end of the last
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
. The cave consists of an immense rectangular chamber at the foot of a limestone hill, which rises to the northeast above the village of Theopetra, with an entrance wide by high. It lies at the foot of the Chasia mountain range, which forms the natural boundary between Thessaly and
Macedonia prefectures, while the Lithaios River, a tributary of the
Pineios River, flows in front of the cave. The small Lithaios River flowing literally on the doorsteps of the cave meant that cave dwellers always had easy access to fresh, clean water without the need to cover daily long distances to find it.
Ancient history
Caves in the vicinity of Meteora were inhabited continuously between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago. The oldest known example of a built structure, a stone wall that blocked two-thirds of the entrance to the
Theopetra cave
Theopetra Cave is a limestone cave located in Theopetra village of Meteora municipality, Thessaly, Greece. It is situated on the northeast side of a limestone rock formation that is south of Kalambaka. The site has become increasingly important ...
, was constructed 23,000 years ago, probably as a barrier against cold winds – the Earth was experiencing an
ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
at the time – and many
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
and
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
artifacts of human occupation have been found within the caves.
[Y. Facorellis, N. Kyparissi-Apostolika and Y. Maniatis 2001 The cave of Theopetra, Kalambaka: radiocarbon evidence for 50,000 years of human presence. ''Radiocarbon'' 43 (2B): 1029-48]
Meteora is not mentioned in classical
Greek myths nor in
Ancient Greek literature
Ancient Greek literature is literature written in the Ancient Greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the Byzantine Empire. The earliest surviving works of ancient Greek literature, dating back to the early Archaic Greece, Archa ...
. The first people documented to inhabit Meteora after the
Neolithic Era were an
ascetic
Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
group of
hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite ( adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a C ...
monks who, in the ninth century AD, moved up to the ancient
pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
s. They lived in
hollows and
fissures
A fissure is a long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth. The term is derived from the Latin word , which means 'cleft' or 'crack'. Fissures emerge in Earth's crust, on ice sheets and glaciers, and on volcanoes.
Ground fissure
A ...
in the rock towers, some as high as 1800 ft (550m) above the plain. This great height, combined with the sheerness of the cliff walls, kept away all but the most determined visitors. Initially, the hermits led a life of solitude, meeting only on Sundays and special days to worship and pray in a chapel built at the foot of a rock known as
Dupiani
Dupiani or Doupiani ( el, Δούπιανη; sometimes spelled Ντούπιανη) is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece. It is located within the village of Kastraki and is located directly adjacent to several hotels ...
.
As early as the eleventh century, monks occupied the caverns of Meteora. However, monasteries were not built until the fourteenth century, when the monks sought somewhere to hide in the face of an increasing number of
Turkish attacks on
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
.
[“Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas.” ''Kalampaka.com'', 10 July 2016, https://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora-monasteries/monastery-of-saint-nicholas-anapafsas/.] At this time, access to the top was via removable ladders or windlass. Currently, getting up there is a lot simpler due to steps being carved into the rock during the 1920s. Of the 24 monasteries, only six (four of men, two of women) are still functioning, with each housing fewer than ten individuals.
History and construction of the monasteries
The exact date of the establishment of the monasteries is widely believed to be unknown, however there are clues to when each of the monasteries were constructed. By the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, a rudimentary monastic state had formed called the
Skete
A skete ( ) is a monastic community in Eastern Christianity that allows relative isolation for monks, but also allows for communal services and the safety of shared resources and protection. It is one of four types of early monastic orders, a ...
of
Stagoi and was centred around the still-standing church of
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations a ...
(Mother of God).
By the end of the twelfth century, an ascetic community had flocked to Meteora.
In 1344,
Athanasios Koinovitis from Mount Athos brought a group of followers to Meteora. From 1356 to 1372, he founded The Great Meteoron Monastery on the Broad Rock, which was perfect for the monks; they were safe from political upheaval and had complete control of the entry to the monastery. The only means of reaching it was by climbing a long ladder, which was drawn up whenever the monks felt threatened.
At the end of the fourteenth century, the
Byzantine Empire's reign over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding
Turkish occupation, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, beginning in the fourteenth century;
only six remain today.
In 1517,
Theophanes built the
monastery of Varlaam
The Monastery of St. Varlaam ( el, Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery that is part of the Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting on ...
, which was reputed to house the finger of
St. John and the shoulder blade of
St. Andrew.
Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders latched together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only "when the Lord let them break". In the words of UNESCO, "The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction."
Until the seventeenth century, the primary means of conveying goods and people from these eyries was by means of baskets and ropes.
In 1921,
Queen Marie of Romania visited Meteora, becoming the first woman ever allowed to enter the Great Meteoron monastery.
In the 1920s there was an improvement in the arrangements. Steps were cut into the rock, making the complex accessible via a bridge from the nearby plateau. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the site was bombed.
List of rocks
There are various rocks of Meteora that surround the village of
Kastraki and border the north side of the main town of
Kalabaka. The height in
metre
The metre ( British spelling) or meter ( American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pre ...
s is also given for various rocks.
*
Dupiani
Dupiani or Doupiani ( el, Δούπιανη; sometimes spelled Ντούπιανη) is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece. It is located within the village of Kastraki and is located directly adjacent to several hotels ...
(Δούπιανη; )
*
Agio Pneuma (Άγιο Πνεύμα; ), site of the historic and
Monks' Prison
*
Kumaries (Κουμαριές; )
*Toichos Alpha (Τοίχος Α) / Kafkasia ()
*Toichos Beta (Τοίχος Β) / Sfika ()
*Toichos Gamma (Τοίχος Γ) / Palaiokranies ()
*Toichos Delta (Τοίχος Δ) / Lianomodia ()
*St. Eustratius (Αγίου Ευστρατίου)
*Archangel (Ταξιαρχών)
*Chalasma (Χάλασμα)
*Marmaro (Μάρμαρο; "marble"), traversed by a paved road that connects Kastraki with Kalabaka
*
Surloti (Σουρλωτή; )
*
Modi (Μόδι; ), site of the historic
Monastery of St. Modestus
*
Alysos
Alysos ( el, Άλυσος), also known as Altsos (Άλτσος) or Alsos (Άλσος), is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece. The rock overlooks the eastern side of the town of Kalabaka
Kalabaka ( el, Κα ...
(Άλυσος) / Altsos (Άλτσος) / Alsos (Άλσος) (), site of the historic
Monastery of the Apostle Peter's Chains
*
Pyxari (Πυξάρι; ), site of the historic (Ασκηταριά Αγίου Γρηγορίου του Θεολόγου),
Monastery of St. Anthony, and Monastery of Chrysostomos
*
Badovas (Μπάντοβας; ), site of the historic
*
Ambaria (Αμπάρια; )
*
Agia (Αγιά; ), also known as Megali Agia, or "Large Aya". Site of the historic Monastery of St. Apostoles (Μονή Αγίων Αποστόλων).
*Mikri Agia (Μικρή Αγιά), or "Small Aya"
*
Adrachti
Adrachti ( el, Αδράχτι) is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece.
Due to its long, thin shape, it is sometimes called the "Spindle". In clockwise order, starting from the north, it is surrounded by Sourloti, Mod ...
(Αδράχτι; )
*
Ftelias (Φτελιάς)
*St. Dimitrios (Αγίου Δημητρίου), where the
Monastery of St. Dimitrios and
Ypapantis Monastery
The Ypapantis Monastery ( el, Μονή Υπαπαντής, lit=Monastery of the Purification), also known as the Monastery of the Ascension of the Savior ( el, Αναλήψεως του Σωτήρος, translit=Analipseos tou Sotiros), is a forme ...
can be found
*Kelarakia ()
*Psaropetra ("Fish Rock"), now a viewpoint on the main road that is popular with tourists
The greater Meteora rock formation also extends northwest into the
Gavros and
Agios Dimitrios
Agios Dimitrios ( Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος meaning Saint Dimitrios, before 1928: Μπραχάμι - ''Brahami'') is a suburb in the southern part of the Athens, Greece.
Geography
Agios Dimitrios is situated 5 km south of Athen ...
areas, although the term ''Meteora'' is commonly used to refer to only the rocks around
Kalabaka and
Kastraki.
The Monasteries of Meteora
At their peak in the 16th century, there were 24 monasteries at Meteora in Greece. They were created to serve monks and nuns following the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Much of the architecture of these buildings is Athonite in origin. Today there are six still functioning, while the remainder are largely in ruin. Perched onto high cliffs, they are now accessible by staircases and pathways cut into the rock formations.
[Nicol, Donald MacGillivray. Meteora : The Rock Monasteries of Thessaly by Donald M Nicol. Chapman and Hall, 1963. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.holycross.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat06787a&AN=chc.b1193287&site=eds-live&scope=site.]
List of monasteries
Traditionally, the 24 historic monasteries of Meteora are listed as follows.
Coordinates are also given for some sites.
The list is primarily sourced from Vlioras (2017),
with some additional notes from Provatakis (2006).
Other sites (
skete
A skete ( ) is a monastic community in Eastern Christianity that allows relative isolation for monks, but also allows for communal services and the safety of shared resources and protection. It is one of four types of early monastic orders, a ...
s,
hermitages, rocks, etc.) include:
}) , , Rock monastery with ruins () connected by a narrow rock-carved path. Preserved
sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Gre ...
,
monastic cells, two cisterns, and a rock-carved altar and shrine. , ,
, -
,
Monks' Prison (''
Filakaé Monakón'') , , The Monks' Prison () is perched on a rock cliff on the
Agion Pneuma Rock. It may be the same as the Cave of Neophytos, the founder of the St. Dimitrios and Pantokrator monasteries on
Dupiani
Dupiani or Doupiani ( el, Δούπιανη; sometimes spelled Ντούπιανη) is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece. It is located within the village of Kastraki and is located directly adjacent to several hotels ...
Rock. Also known as Oglas (Ογλάς) or the Nuns' Prison (Φυλακές των Καλογέρων, ''Fylakes ton Kalogeron''). , ,
, -
,
Hermitage of St. Athanasius of Meteora ( el, Άγιος Αθανάσιος) , , Ruins of a hermitage on the
Holy Spirit Rock said to be inhabited by St.
Athanasios the Meteorite (Ἀθανάσιος ὁ Μετεωρίτης) (). The
Cave of St. Athanasius of Meteora () is next to the Holy Monastery. , ,
, -
,
Pyxari (Πυξάρι) , , Rock with cave hermitages perched on cliffs, formerly inhabited by ascetics. Located at the southwestern edge of the Meteora rock complex. , ,
, -
,
Ambaria (Αμπάρια) , , Rock with cave hermitages perched on cliffs, formerly inhabited by ascetics. Located at the southwestern edge of the Meteora rock complex. , ,
, -
,
Monastery of St. Eustratius (Moni Agios Efstratios, Μονή Αγίου Ευστρατίου) , , Little-known monastery on
Surloti Rock (βράχου Σουρλωτή). , ,
, -
, Staircase of St. Eustratius , , The Staircase of St. Eustratius () is located on the eastern side of St. Eustratios Rock. There are a few different stairways carved into the rock. , ,
, -
,
Monastery of Theostiriktos (Μονή Θεοστηρίκτου) , , Location uncertain. In the general area of Stylos Stagios (βράχου Στύλος Σταγών) /
Agion Pneuma Rock. , ,
, -
,
Cell of Constantius (Κελί του Κωνστάντιου) , , Northeast of
Pyxari Rock in a forested valley (). Also called the Panagia Hermitage (Ασκητήριο της Παναγίας), Panagia Chapel (Ναός της Παναγίας), or Trani Church (Τρανή Εκκλησιά). , ,
, -
,
Monastery of St. Nicholas of Petra (Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου της Πέτρας) , , Ruins () on
Badovas / Bantova Rock, just to the west of the monastery of St. Nicholas of Badova. Also known as the Monastery of St. Nicholas of Skala (Αγίου Νικολάου της Σκάλας). , ,
, -
, Kelarakia () , , Ruins () on a rock directly to the east of the
Monastery of Varlaam
The Monastery of St. Varlaam ( el, Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery that is part of the Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting on ...
. The Cell of St. Paul the Apostle () can probably be identified with Kelarakia. The Plakes (Πλάκες) area, a valley with various rocks, is located just south of Kelarakia. , ,
, -
,
Monastery of the Three Hierarchs (Μονή των Τριών Ιεραρχών) , , Somewhere to the east of
Kastraki. Exact location unknown. , ,
The Great Meteoron
The Holy
Monastery of Great Meteoron is the oldest and largest of the monasteries of Meteora. The monastery is believed to have been built just before the mid 14th century by a monk from Mount Athos named Saint
Athanasios the Meteorite. He began the build with a church in dedication to the
Mother of God
''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations ar ...
, the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
. He later added small cells so that
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
s could concentrate and live atop the rock formations.
The monastery’s second name is, The Holy Monastery of the
Transfiguration, which got its name from the second church St. Meteorites built. The successor of Saint Athanasios was Saint Joasaph, who continued to build more cells, a hospital, and renovated the churches atop the rocks. The Monastery thrived in the 16th century when it received many imperial and royal donations.
[Poulios, Ioannis. Living Sites : The Past in the Present : The Monastic Site of Meteora, Greece : Towards a New Approach to Conservation. Jan. 2008. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.holycross.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsble&AN=edsble.503480&site=eds-live&scope=site. p149] At the time it had over three hundred monks living and worshipping within its cells. It is still a living monastery as there were three monks in residence as of 2015.
Being the largest among all the monasteries allows it to have a particular layout filled with many buildings. The
katholikon
A ''katholikon'' or catholicon ( gr, καθολικόν) or ''sobor'' ( Slavonic: съборъ) refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church:
* The cathedral of a diocese.
* The major church building (temple) of a monastery corre ...
is dedicated to the
Transfiguration of Jesus
In the New Testament, the Transfiguration of Jesus is an event where Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) describe it, and the Second Epistle of Peter also refers to it ().
In these ...
and was the first church of the monastery. The hermitage of the first founder of the monastery is a small building carved in rock. The kitchen or what is commonly referred to as the
hestia is a domed shaped building near the
refectory. There is also a hospital, with its famous roof of the ground floor made of brick and supported on four columns. The three old churches or chapels include: The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist which lies next to the katholikon sanctuary, The Saints Constantine and
Helen
Helen may refer to:
People
* Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world
* Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress
* Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Helen, ...
Chapel which is an aisle-less church with large
vault, and finally the chapel of Virgin Mary situated in the cave.
Monastery of Varlaam
The
Monastery of Varlaam
The Monastery of St. Varlaam ( el, Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery that is part of the Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting on ...
is the second largest monastery of Meteora. The name Varlaam comes from a monk named Varlaam who scaled the rocks in 1350 and began construction on the
monasteries. Varlaam built three churches by hoisting materials up the face of the cliffs. After Varlaam’s death, the monastery was abandoned for two hundred years until two monk brothers, Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades, came to the rock in the 16th century and began to rebuild the churches in October 1517. The two brothers from
Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...
spent twenty-two years hoisting materials to the top of the rock formation, however, the building only is reported to take around twenty days.
[“Holy Monastery of Varlaam.” ''Kalampaka.com'', 10 July 2016, https://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora-monasteries/monastery-of-varlaam/.] Monks have been present since the 16th century, however, there has been a constant decline in their presence since the 17th century.
Today the monastery is accessed through a series of ladders that scale the north side of the rock. The museum is open to travelers and contains a wide array of relics and ecclesiastical treasures. that there are seven monks remaining in Varlaam.
Monastery of Rousanou
The
Monastery of Rousanou is believed to have been constructed, like many of the other monasteries, in the 14th century. The cathedral is believed to have been built in the 16th century and later decorated in 1540. The name Rousanou is believed to come from the first group of monks who settled on the rock from Russia. The monastery sits on the elevation 484 meters. Lying in the middle of the site, visitors can see the other monasteries, as well as the ruins of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist and the Pantokrator.
Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas
The
Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas is located atop a small narrow rock. It is approximately eighty meters high and the first which the pilgrims encounter on their way to the holy Meteora. The Monastery was founded in the late 14th century and today is surrounded by the deserted and ruined monasteries of St. John Prodromos, the
Pantocrator, and the chapel of Panagia Doupiani. The monastery served as a resting place for pilgrims and quickly got its name of “Anapausas” referring to word ''anapafseos'' 'resting'.
[Hellander, Paul (2008). ''Lonely Planet: Greece''. Lonely Planet. p. 266. ]ISBN
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.
An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition a ...
978-1-74104-656-4[“Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas.” ''Kalampaka.com'', 10 July 2016, https://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora-monasteries/monastery-of-saint-nicholas-anapafsas/.] Being on such a narrow surface, the floors are connected through an interior staircase. St. Nicholas is honored on the second floor where the
katholikon
A ''katholikon'' or catholicon ( gr, καθολικόν) or ''sobor'' ( Slavonic: съборъ) refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church:
* The cathedral of a diocese.
* The major church building (temple) of a monastery corre ...
is located. On the third floor, there is the
Holy Table and the walls are decorated by 14th-century frescoes. The monastery has been restored in the 16th century and again in the 1960s.
Monastery of the Holy Trinity
The
Monastery of the Holy Trinity is believed to have been built in the 14th and 15th century. Even prior to this, ancient Greeks established hermitages at the base of the rock cliffs. In the 14th century,
John Uroš
Jovan Uroš Nemanjić ( sr, Јован Урош Немањић / ''Jovan Uroš Nemanjić'') or John Ouresis Doukas Palaiologos or Joasaph of Meteora ( gr, Ιωάννης Ούρεσης Δούκας Παλαιολόγος, ''Iōannēs Ouresēs Do� ...
moved to the Meteora and endowed and built monasteries on top of the rock cliffs. He offered the sanctuaries as a safe haven during times of political upheaval.
In 1438,
Dometius was said to be the first monk at the site of Holy Trinity. The actual monastery is believed to have been built between 1475 and 1476. Some do say that the exact construction date of the monastery like many of the other monasteries is unknown. By the end of the 16th century this was one of the last six monasteries still atop the Meteora.
Monastery of St. Stephen
The
Monastery of St. Stephen is located on a plateau-like structure. The original monastery was believed to have been built in the 14th century, however, a new
katholikon
A ''katholikon'' or catholicon ( gr, καθολικόν) or ''sobor'' ( Slavonic: съборъ) refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church:
* The cathedral of a diocese.
* The major church building (temple) of a monastery corre ...
was built in 1798 making it the newest of all the meteorite structures.
[“Holy Monastery of Saint Stephen.” ''Kalampaka.com'', 10 July 2016, https://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora-monasteries/monastery-of-saint-stephen/.] The monastery is made up of many buildings including new katholikon, the "
hestia" (kitchen), an old refectory that has since become a museum, and an assortment of rooms with different purposes. These include workrooms for paintings, embroidery, incense-making, and needlework. The church's interior was decorated with
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plast ...
es on the inside for a short period after
1545. However, During the
World Wars
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
, the
monasteries were bombed heavily and ransacked in the belief that the monks were holding refugees.
, the Monastery of St. Stephen is home to 28 nuns after its conversion to a nunnery in 1961.
Gallery
Image:Meteora in the early morning hours.jpg, Meteora in the early morning hours
Image:Greece meteora monasteries.JPG, The Rousanou, the Nikolaos and the Grand Metereon monasteries
File:Ιερά Μονή Ρουσάνου.jpg, The Monastery of Rousanou (in order from background to foreground). The Holy Spirit Rock is on the left side, while Dupiani
Dupiani or Doupiani ( el, Δούπιανη; sometimes spelled Ντούπιανη) is a rock in the Meteora rock formation complex of Thessaly, Greece. It is located within the village of Kastraki and is located directly adjacent to several hotels ...
Rock can be seen in the center, at the middle of the valley.
Image:Meteory 1 wisnia6522.jpg, Panorama of the Meteora valley
Image:Meteora valley, Meteora, Greece.jpg, Panoramic view at Meteora valley
Image:Monastery Varlaam, Meteora, Greece.jpg, Panoramic view at the Monastery of Varlaam
The Monastery of St. Varlaam ( el, Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου Αναπαυσά) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery that is part of the Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting on ...
Image:Roussanou, Meteora, Greece.jpg, Panoramic view at the Monastery of Roussanou
Image:Varlaam and Grand Metereon, Meteora, Greece.jpg, Panoramic view at monasteries of Varlaam and Grand Meteoron. From left to right: Kelarakia, Varlaam Monastery, Holy Monastery, Ypsilotera, Devil's Tower, and Grand Meteoron.
Recreation
Meteora is popular with hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and rock climbers from around the world, particularly during the summer. The Meteora MTB Race, also known as the Vasilis Efstathiou (Βασίλης Ευσταθίου) MTB Race, is held annually at Meteora.
In popular culture
* The monastery of Holy Trinity was a filming location for the 1981
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
movie ''
For Your Eyes Only''.
*The 1957 film ''
Boy on a Dolphin
''Boy on a Dolphin'' is a 1957 American romantic adventure film from 20th Century Fox set in Greece and shot in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and ...
'' is partly shot in Meteora.
Clifton Webb
Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...
's character visits Meteora, and goes up to the Holy Trinity monastery to do some library research.
*Scenes from ''
Tintin and the Golden Fleece
''Tintin and the Golden Fleece'' (in the original French, ''Tintin et le mystère de la toison d'or'', meaning ''Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece'') is a film first released in France on 6 December 1961. Featuring characters from ''T ...
'' were also shot at the Meteora monasteries.
* Michina, the main setting of the movie ''
Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life'' is based on Meteora.
* Meteora is the main location in the fiction book ''
The Spook's Sacrifice
''The Spook's Sacrifice'' is the sixth instalment in the Wardstone Chronicles arc of the ''Spook's'' series by Joseph Delaney. Its release date is 25 August 2009. In the US it is titled ''The Last Apprentice: Clash of the Demons''.
Plot
Af ...
'', by Lancashire author
Joseph Delaney.
* One of the surviving characters in
Max Brooks's zombie apocalypse novel, "
World War Z" finds refuge and peace of mind in the monasteries during and after the zombie war.
* The 2012 film ''
Meteora'' directed by
Spiros Stathoulopoulos
Spiros Stathoulopoulos ( el, Σπύρος Σταθουλόπουλος; born 1978) is a Greek-Colombian film director best known for the uncut cult film '' PVC-1'' (2007) and ''Meteora'' (2012).
'' PVC-1'' competed for the Camera d'Or at the 60t ...
is set in the monasteries and scenery of Meteora.
* The primary location and name of Volume 3 in the comic book series "Le Décalogue" by French author
Frank Giroud
Frank Giroud (3 May 1956 – 13 July 2018) was a French comics writer.
Early life
Giroud was born on May 3, 1956 in Toulouse, France. He graduated from the École Nationale des Chartes, and he passed the agrégation in History.
Career
Giroud tau ...
is based on Meteora.
* The ''
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3''
DLC Map "Sanctuary" is set in the monasteries of the Meteora.
* The
2003 album by
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...
takes its name from the site.
* The monasteries were a filming location for the 1976 action movie ''
Sky Riders''. starring
Susannah York,
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...
and
Robert Culp.
* In ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' episode "Travels with Father", Indiana and his father visit Meteora.
* Meteora served as an inspiration for the Eyrie in the
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...
television series.
*The design of the Elysium realm in The Fate of Atlantis downloadable chapter of
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
''Assassin's Creed Odyssey'' is a 2018 action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the eleventh major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series and the successor to 2017's ''Assassin's Creed ...
was inspired by the geology of Meteora.
* Meteora was the location of the first challenge in the eighth season of the Belgian reality show ''
De Mol''.
* A professional wrestling move innovated by
CIMA was named after the Meteora, as that was where he had proposed to his wife.
* The external design of the level "St. Francis' Folly" in the 1996 game ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...
'' and its 2007
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
was inspired by the lofty monasteries of Meteora.
References
Further reading
* Fotis, Kotopoulis (1973). ''Meteora (- Kastraki - Aiginion)''. Athens: Difros. // Κοτοπούλης Φώτης, Μετέωρα (- Καστράκι - Αιγίνιον), εκδ. Δίφρος, Athens 1973.
* Ioannis, Papasotiriou (1934). ''Meteora'', Trikala: Panourgia. // Παπασωτηρίου Ιωάννης, Τα Μετέωρα, εκδ. Πανουργιά, Τρίκαλα 1934.
* Ioannis, Papasotiriou, ''The Meteora'', ed. Panourgia, Trikala 1934. // Παπασωτηρίου Ιωάννης, Τα Μετέωρα, εκδ. Πανουργιά, Τρίκαλα 1934.
* Nikolaos, Vais, "Contribution to the history of the monasteries of Meteora", ''Byzantius'' 1, 1909, p. 236, 274-276. // Βέης Νικόλαος, «Συμβολή εις την ιστορία των μονών των Μετεώρων», Βυζαντίς 1, 1909, σελ. 236, 274-276.
* Nikolaos, Vais, "Serbian and Byzantine letters of Meteora", ''Byzantius'' 2 (1910/11) pp. 89–96. // Βέης Νικόλαος, «Σερβικά και Βυζαντιακά γράμματα Μετεώρου», Βυζαντίς, 2 (1910/11) σελ. 89-96 & Σπανός Βασίλειος, Ιστορία-Προσωπογραφία της Β.Δ. Θεσσαλίας το β’ μισό του ΙΔ’ αιώνα, Λάρισα 1995.
* Reader's Digest. ''Strange Worlds Amazing Places'' (1994), 432 pp. Published: Reader's Digest Association Limited, London. .
* Spyridon, Vlioras (2017). ''Holy Meteora - The rocks that neighbour heaven'', trans. Caroline Makropoulos. Athens: Militos (Μίλητος). .
* Theotokni
itsikostas Nun (2010). ''The stone forest of Meteora'', vol. 1, Meteora: Holy Ascetic. // Θεοτέκνη
�ητσικώσταμοναχή
''Το Πέτρινο Δάσος των Μετεώρων'', τ. αʼ: Ιερά ασκητήρια Άγια Μετέωρα: Ιερό Κοινόβιο Αγίου Στεφάνου. 2010. .
* Vasilios, Spanos ''History-Prosopography of NW Thessaly in the second half of the 14th century'', Larissa 1995. // Σπανός Βασίλειος, Ιστορία-Προσωπογραφία της Β.Δ. Θεσσαλίας το β’ μισό του ΙΔ’ αιώνα, Λάρισα 1995.
* Βλιώρας Σπυρίδων, ''Ἱερὰ Μονὴ Ρουσάνου - Ἅγια Μετέωρα: Οἱ οὐρανογείτονες βράχοι'', εκδ. Μίλητος, Αθήνα 2017, σελ. 178, .
External links
Meteora beyond monasteries: a unique place in central GreeceThe Meteora monasteriesSuspended in the air , Meteoratimelapse video of Meteora
Natural History Museum of Meteora and Mushroom Museum Kalambaka
Meteora Trails(In 2021, an effort to map the entire trail network of Meteora began, which now consists of 14 interconnected trails covering the entire area.)
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Trikala (regional unit)
Meteora
Natura 2000 in Greece
Tourist attractions in Thessaly