Description of the attraction
About 6.5 km north-west of the administrative center of the Greek island of Tilos, the town of Megalo Horje, on the slopes of a picturesque hill at an altitude of 450 meters above sea level, nestled among lush cypresses and century-old oak trees, is one of the most famous and revered shrines of the island, as well as an important historical and architectural monument - the monastery of St. Panteleimon.
The monastery of St. Panteleimon on the island of Tilos was founded in the second half of the 15th century and was built presumably on the site of an ancient temple. Perhaps in ancient times, it was here that there was a temple of Poseidon, mentions of which are found in ancient documents, including in the works of the famous ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo, although the existence of the sanctuary of the god of the seas on the island of Tylos is questioned by some historians today. The monastery received its name in honor of the great martyr Panteleimon, revered by the inhabitants of Tilos as their patron.
It is worth noting that since its foundation, the monastery of St. Panteleimon has undergone a number of changes and its current architectural appearance is mainly the result of two large-scale reconstructions in 1703 and 1824. In general, the monastery has been well preserved to this day, and is a rather large and impressive complex of structures surrounded by massive fortress walls, behind which a cozy pebble-paved courtyard with a catholicon with beautiful old frescoes and a carved wooden iconostasis of the 18th century, a watchtower is reliably covered, a guest house, where you can stay if you want to stay in the monastery for a few days, and a number of other buildings, various utility rooms and monastic cells.
