Description of the attraction
About 15 minutes drive southeast from the village of Kazaviti on the slope of Mount Ipsario, there is one of the main attractions and shrines of the Greek island of Thassos - the active nunnery of St. Panteleimon.
In 1843, one of Thassos residents initiated and financed the construction of a church on the island in honor of the famous Christian healer and great martyr Saint Panteleimon. An ancient legend says that initially the place for the temple was chosen about 3 km from its current location, but the next day after the start of construction, workers found that there was no trace of the work carried out the day before, and the tools disappeared. This went on for several days and, finally, the workers noticed rather obvious traces, which led them to a small cave on Mount Ipsario, where the entire missing instrument was found. This was taken as a sign from above, and it was decided to build the Church of St. Panteleimon next to the cave. They say that this place is not accidental, since it was in this cave that Saint Panteleimon himself spent some time. The cave has survived to this day and is located on the southern side of the monastery. There is also a natural spring in the cave, the waters of which are considered curative.
In 1987, the church of St. Panteleimon was transformed into a nunnery. Every year on July 27, on the day of the memory of St. Panteleimon, thousands of pilgrims flock to the monastery to receive blessings and drink from the holy spring.
The top of Mount Ipsario offers breathtaking panoramic views of the picturesque valley, the village of Prinos and the mainland town of Kavala. On clear days, from Mount Ipsario, you can see the Holy Mount Athos.
