Meteora
The Metéora (Greek: Μετέωρα, "suspended rocks", "suspended in the
air" or "in the heavens above") is one of the largest and most
important complex of monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount
Athos.The monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars,
at the north-western edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the
Peneios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The Metéora
is home to six monasteries and is included on the UNESCO World
Heritage List. Although it is unknown when Metéora was
established, as early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were
believed to be living among the caves and cutouts in the rocks. By
the late 11th or early 12th century a rudimentary monastic state
had formed called the Skete of Stagoi and was centred around the
church of Theotokos (mother of God), which still stands today. The
hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Turkish
occupation, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be
an ideal refuge. Although more than 20 monasteries were built,
beginning in the 14th century, only six remain today. These six
are: 'Great Meteoron (or Transfiguration), Varlaam, St. Stephen,
Holy Trinity, St. Nicholas Anapausas and Rousanou. Access to the
monasteries was originally extremely difficult, requiring either
long ladders lashed together or large nets used to haul up both
goods and humans. This required quite a leap of faith -- the ropes
were replaced, so the story goes, only "when the Lord let them
break,". In the words of UNESCO, "The net in which intrepid
pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 373-meter cliff
where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the
fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with
extinction." In about the 1920s there was an improvement in the
arrangements. Steps were cut into the rock, making the complex
accessible via a bridge from the nearby plateau. During World War
II the site was bombed and many art treasures were stolen. Only
six of the monasteries remain today. Of the six monasteries, five
are inhabited by males, one by females. Each monastery has fewer
than 10 inhabitants. and attract numerous tourists every year. The
monasteries are now some of the most popular tourist sites in the
world and now serve primarily as museums.
Source: www.wikipedia.org
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