Description of the attraction
Just a few kilometers from the Greek city of Kalambaka is the famous Meteora, one of the largest and most revered monastic complexes in Greece. The monasteries are nestled on the tops of the Thessalian Plain, proudly towering on the northwestern edge of the Plain, and enormous steep cliffs of incredible beauty. These rocks themselves are a fairly rare geological phenomenon and were formed about 60 million years ago. Actually, it is precisely due to their unique location that the monasteries got their name, since in translation from Greek the word “meteors” literally means “soaring in the air”.
Most researchers believe that the first hermitage of the Holy Spirit was founded here in the middle of the 10th century by a certain Barnabas. Although it is likely that these inaccessible rocks were chosen by hermits much earlier. For a long time, settlers settled in caves and rocky depressions, climbing to the tops of inaccessible stone massifs with the help of rearranged wooden scaffoldings (later the scaffolding was replaced with suspended ladders and a winch with a mesh). In 1160 the Stagi (Dupiani) skete was founded, which became the “progenitor” of the organized monastic community.
In 1334, the Monk Athanasius of Meteorsk, who left Holy Mount Athos due to the invasion of the corsairs, arrived on the Thessalian lands together with a group of like-minded people. It is believed that it was Athanasius who gave these rocks the name "Meteora". He also founded the famous Transfiguration Monastery, or the Great Meteor, - the largest of the famous Meteors, located on the highest and inaccessible rock, at an altitude of 613 m above sea level. It is from this moment that the flowering of Meteors begins. By the 16th century, a unique location that allows one to maximally protect oneself from invasions of robbers and robbers, as well as strict observance of the laws and rules laid down by the Monk Athanasius, made it possible to create a prosperous monastic community with many monasteries (24 known).
Unfortunately, to this day, only six monasteries have survived and are functioning - the Transfiguration Monastery (Great Meteor), the Varlaam Monastery, the Holy Trinity Monastery, the Rusanu Monastery (St. Barbara), the St. Stephen Monastery and the St. Nicholas Anapavsas Monastery. In addition to fantastic landscapes, breathtaking panoramic views and a stunning atmosphere of calm and tranquility, these shrines are interesting for their architecture, an abundance of beautiful old frescoes, icons and other church relics.
In 1988, Meteora was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and today is one of the most interesting and popular attractions in Greece. In 1922, steps were cut into the rocks, which greatly facilitated access to the monasteries (both for monks and numerous pilgrims and tourists).
