Description of the attraction
About 15 km from the city of Chios (the capital of the island of the same name), on the slope of a picturesque hill among slender cypresses, there is the Nea Moni monastery. It is one of the most beautiful and oldest monasteries in Greece and also a wonderful example of magnificent Byzantine architecture.
Nea Moni Monastery was built in the middle of the 11th century by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. According to legend, the monastery was erected on the site where three monks - Nikita, John and Joseph - found an absolutely intact icon of the Virgin Mary on a branch of a burning myrtle.
For centuries, the Nea Moni Monastery has been considered one of the most important religious centers of the Aegean Sea. The extensive land plots owned by the monastery and special privileges ensured the prosperity of the holy monastery and its power. By the end of the 13th century, about 800 monks lived on the territory of the monastery. In relative prosperity, the temple existed for a long time during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.
Unfortunately, the monastery was badly damaged during the infamous Chios massacre in 1822. During the massacre by the Turks, the iconostasis, as well as the monastery library and archives, burned down. The magnificent frescoes of the Catholicon were badly damaged, and an impressive part of the unique church relics was simply stolen. The monastery also suffered significant destruction during an earthquake in 1881.
Today the monastery complex covers an area of approximately 1.7 hectares. On its territory there is the main katholikon, two small churches of the Cross of the Lord and St. Panteleimon, a refectory and monastic cells. There is also a small church museum on the territory of the monastery. The walls surrounding the monastery today were built in the 19th century. Outside the walls of the monastery, next to the monastic cemetery, there is a small chapel of St. Luke.
The special pride of the Nea Moni Monastery is its world-famous stunning Byzantine mosaics. Among the most interesting and well-preserved mosaic compositions are the Baptism of Christ, the Crucifixion of Christ, Descent into Hell, Descent from the Cross, Entry into Jerusalem and Washing of the Feet.
Nea Moni Monastery is an important historical and cultural monument of the island of Chios. In 1990, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
