Monasteries of Meteora
Meteora is a monastic complex in Greece, known for its unusual location in the mountains of Khasia near the city of Kalambaka. The complement was formed in the 10th century and has existed to the present day. In 1988, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The mountains began to form here 60 million years ago and reach a height of 600 meters. Under the influence of erosion, the rocks took on a bizarre shape, similar to stone pillars.
According to the legends, the monks settled here a long time ago. They built prayer places for themselves in caves where they studied the scriptures. But they had to go down from the mountains to the church of the Archangels to pray. According to research by scientists, Barnabas built the first monastic building in 970, then in 1020 a monk from the island of Crete built the Transfiguration Hermitage, and in 1160 the hermitage of Stagi was constructed. Its construction marked the beginning of a special meteoric community.
For 3 centuries, the Meteor monks lived peacefully, but in the 13th century, a struggle ensued between the Serbs, Crusaders, and Turks who wanted to seize this region. In 1334, the monk Athanasius came here, who was driven away by corsairs from Mount Athos. He had one goal - to equip the monastery as in Mount Athos. He found 14 monks in the area and they climbed a 613-meter cliff, starting the construction of the world-famous monastery "The Great Meteor". The grandeur of this place, its beauty and protection from bandit raids made it possible to establish a large monastic community. In the 16th century, during the heyday of the community, 24 monasteries functioned here, but over time they fell into disrepair and only 6 operating at this time remained.
Until the 20th century, roads and steps to the Meteora monasteries were not built yet - monks used to climb up suspended ladders and in nets, which were lifted by monks. Also, all building materials, as well as food, were lifted up the mountain.
The inhabitants of Meteor have had a lot of difficulties. They were attacked by Crusaders and Turks, during the Second World War they were looted by German and Italian invaders, and they experienced difficulties during the Civil War. But they all managed to regain their greatness and have also become a well-known tourist attraction. Only the Montserrat Monastery in Spain can boast of such popularity. When visiting monasteries, it is worth considering that there is a strict dress code - closed shoulders, long trousers for men and a skirt for women.
