Meteora monastery complex

Unesco's Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization recognized the Meteora monastery of Greece as the World Natural & Cultural Heritage listed in the mixed heritage list, 1988.

Meteora is an architectural complex of monasteries built on a rocky peak in Greece's northwest Thessaly. This is not simply a beautiful architectural work but can be said to be unique in Greece as well as in the world.

Meteora is a Greek word meaning "hanging in the air" and as such, the Meteora architectural complex is cliffed on the top of the mountain, if seen from above, it will be seen as if these monasteries are hung in the middle. middle Besides, these monasteries are also the most important monastic constructions in Greece just behind Mount Athos . Meteora consists of a total of 6 large and small monasteries, all built on the top of Mt Thessaly near the Peneios river and the Pindus mountain range.

World-famous monastery complex, climbing, dangerous on Meteora cliff of Greece.

In the 9th century, a group of ascetic monks arrived at this sharp rock peak and were the first to settle in Meteora. At that time, they lived in stone niches and cracks in stone towers, which had an elevation of nearly 600 meters above sea level. With such a high altitude and the ruggedness make this area an isolated place. Initially the hermit came here to practice, stay hidden. They only met on Sunday to pray at a chapel that was also simply built from stone with the name Dhoupiani . Centuries later, there were more and more monks who settled here and prayed. Meteora monastery was built exactly from time to time is unknown, but scientists think it was built around the 11th century, 12th century. There is also evidence that, in the 14th century, when the Byzantine Empire weakened, monastic communities at Athos peninsula were increasingly robbed. The pirates from Turkey have cornered them and so they left the monastery Iviron on the west coast of the peninsula to find a safer place. And from here, these monks began to build the first monasteries.

The work of building these monasteries was extremely arduous, unspeakable because the monks had to transport large blocks of stone to vertical, cliff and towering cliffs. Transporting by road is not possible because it is too time-consuming and the mountain peak is too dangerous to roll from the bottom so the monks have to create a rope from the top of the mountain to the ground to Climb up and down and pull the rock up. The construction process has caused many accidents as well as major casualties because transporting stones as well as using rope to climb and descend mountains is too dangerous. Even so, with faith in God, these hard-working monks worked hard to build one monastery to another, eventually succeeding. After the first monastery was completed, they did not stop and continued to build many new things year after year. The construction of this monastery was only really completed when the 24th monastery was completed, and the monks named it Meteora meaning "hovering in the air".

This monument to the rocky mountains has helped to form a densely populated community at the end of the 14th century in the region. However, the peaceful life of the community did not last long, after some time the violent forces began to rebel against and seize wealth, causing chaos to occur continuously here. Many monasteries were destroyed during this time. The Christians then came here and restored the monastery but could not rebuild the original state. By the 18th century, Meteora monastery became the hidden center of Greek warriors. Then the monastery was occupied by Germany and Italy in World War II, robbed and seriously destroyed.

Today, there are only 6 intact monasteries among 24 monasteries in the population. The monks also built stairs to climb the mountain instead of climbing the extremely dangerous rope ladder before. Meteora monastery's architectural complex soon became the architectural form of Greece but until this place was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage, it really became widely known and became a visit Tourist attractions in Greece.