or hermits looking for peace and mental tranquillity, as well as regular people seeking for protection of the various conqueror raids that Greece suffered along for many centuries.
At first, people used these places for staying at the cavities and fissures, and in some cases they climbed these rocks as well. That took place because apart from being calm places, the rocks at what we now as ‘Meteora’ also were usually passed by, by the invaders.
On the other hand, the precise date in which these rocks became inhabited in unknown, although most experts affirm that the first occupation occurred at the end of the first millennium, around the 10th century, and was performed by hermits. |
|
almost 2000 years later.
By that time, Holy Athanasios established the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mount, and named its huge rock ‘Meteoro’, which was known as ‘Wide stone’ until then. This place was also known as the Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoro.
Later on, this rock gave name to the whole complex that started to be built by those times. In fact, in the following two centuries many other monasteries have been created, until they reached the number of 24.
Regarding the ancient way of reaching these heights, the first monks used scaffolds for climbing the rocks. Then this method was followed by using nets with hooks and rope ladders. Sometimes a basket was used, which was pulled by the monks, who were organised for performing a rotating mechanism.
|
|
Monastery of the Great Meteoro, which was a great aid in keeping alive the traditional orthodoxy along the centuries.
On the other hand, many others also have been restored and are being maintained, especially since the UNESCO took Metora as part of the World Heritage in 1988.
In addition, some of them are currently being used as museums, while the whole Meteora has become a major interest place for tourism, not only because of the great historic monasteries that it hosts, but also because of the particular heavenly charm that the whole complex counts on, which feels like coming out from an epic fairy tale.
|
Back:
Related:
