Meteora Grand Meteoron Monastery

Location: Kalambaka

The Monastery of Grand Meteoron is also known as the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ. It is the oldest, the biggest and for many, it is considered to be the most important one, among all the Monasteries of Meteora. This Monastery was founded around 1340 by Saint Athanasios Meteorites, a scholar-monk of Mount Athos.

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In the middle of the 16th century, as many imperial and royal donations were made to the Monastery of Grand Meteoron, it became the most powerful Monastery in Meteora. The nave and narthex of the Monastery’s main temple (also known by the term ‘katholikon’ ) date back to that time. Later on a refectory, a kitchen, a hospital-home for the aged, a tower, small chapels and joined ladders were also built. However, over the years the Monastery has endured many disasters, like incursions, looting and fires.

What is really worth mentioning is that despite all the obstacles, the monks have managed to preserve until the present time countless remarkable treasures of this Monastery, including portable icons, manuscripts, documents and rare printed books.