Meteora Introduction
Wanna taste a different side of Greece? Even though Greece is well-known for its deep blue sea and long-stretched beaches, it is also a country of diverse landscapes, satisfying the taste of every traveler. In case you want to have a 'northern' experience in Greece and discover places of great historical and archaeological importance, Meteora is the place to be!The word Meteora means literally 'hovering in the air'. What created this rare geological phenomenon is one of the mysteries of nature and there are many theories though they remain theories and none have been proven. But as amazing a marvel of nature as these giant rocks are, the buildings on top of these are a marvel of man and seem just as miraculous.Hello! My name is Anna, and I am going to be your guide for this tour.I’m an expert on Greek history and a licensed tour guide for over than 25 years. Until the end of this “journey”, I will truly have captured Meteora's whole history, myths, and legends. I hope you agree.
HOW TO USE THIS APP
Before we start our tour, it’s useful to tell you how to use this app. As you can see from the display window on your audio player, each of the stops on this tour has its own title. You can skip ahead or tailor your itinerary to your own tastes. Whenever you like, you can pause the audio guide and then restart it when you are ready to move on. To help you along, there’s a map available for this tour. Be aware that, even with the very best of directions, strolling around in the monasteries and walking down the paths can be confusing.Positioned right in the middle of Greece, Meteora isn’t the most convenient place to reach. Away from many of Greece’s other major destinations and without any airports close by, the best choice is to travel there by train.
Larissis Railway Station
Taking the red line of the Athens metro, we disembark at the Larissis station. As we enter, it is difficult not to see how much well-preserved it is, although it started to operate in 1904. It is a beautiful neoclassical building with a central and sideway platform. The station owes its name to an important city of central Greece.We find the train that will drive us to Kalambaka where the rocky forest at Meteora is located and lay comfortably on our seats. Now, let the journey begin!
Crossing the Greek countryside - Marathon
The first key place we are going to visit, is Marathon, a historical place in the northern part of Athens, or much better to say that it is located in the northern suburbs of Attica as the regional prefecture of Athens.The location Marathon owes its name to the fennel plant. For sure, the place has always been a fertile region with soft ground, subterranean water, and fertile soil. The location boasts an artificial lake since 1929 when an American company constructed a dam, the façade of which imitates the Doric architecture style entrance with this lake Athens covers its necessities in water.For all such features, the historical identity of Marathon adds extra value to the significance of the region. It was in 490 B.C. (2,500 years ago) in the 5th century when the Athenian warriors with the help of 1000 Plataeans managed to stop and win the great Persian army.It is known that the Persian Emperor Darius so as to give a lesson to the Athenians who were protecting and helping the great cities on the coast of Asia Minor reached the Greek territory with thousands of warriors, six hundred ships, and ten thousand horse riders. The battlefield became the soft territory of Marathon. Due to the strategy of the Athenians under the commands of the Great General Miltiades and the morphology of the territory (soft ground was not easy for the heavy armored Persian warriors to move), the Athenians managed to win the Persian war machine.A slight help suddenly popped out nearby the close city-state of Plataea, while the brave Spartans due to religious celebrations could not attend. Many of us are aware of the name of the warrior runner Pheidippides – He covered the long distance from the battlefield of Marathon towards the Acropolis where the ancient local market Agora is located.He managed to say “We won” and then he died as he was after the fighting was over due to the physical stress and fatigue above the hills and mountains, forests, and streams of Athens.For some researchers, Pheidippides was the runner messenger who went to Sparta for help and support. In modern life, the feast marathon running as the revival of the big event of the past was organized in 1896 in the last modern Olympic Games. In reference to that, the Olympic Games of London in 1908 when the Olympic committee fixed the kilometer distance from Windsor Palace to Shepherd’s Bush stadium, which is 42km and 195 meters, which is 26,22 miles. The starting line is a tumulus at Marathon, where buried and the finishing line reached the Panathinaikos Olympic Stadium in front of the Temple of Zeus in Athens.
Crossing the Greek countryside - Prefecture of Beotia
As the train crosses through beautiful vegetation of pine, cypress, olive trees, and vineyards, we are slowly reaching a big plain close to Attica, fertile with an olive dark brown soil. It is the plain of Boeotia where the farmers are growing wheat and corn potatoes and tomatoes, melons and pistachios, olives, and cotton. Boeotia used to be an ancient city-state, but for us, it is another county with a principal city known as “Thiva” (Thebes).The past of the area goes back to the bronze age and earlier – The founder and first king was Cadmus; the brother of Europe and his origins were divine. He ended up in Boeotia and founded Thebes as he was searching for his sister Europe, who had transformed into a beautiful artefact, a God Zeus transfiguration.According to the myths after generations of Kings the palace of Thebes passed into the hands of King Laios. While viewing the modern city constructed on the hills with the natural protection, we try to imagine this glorious past. To our minds comes the story of King Laios married Queen Iocasta.Since they did not have children, King Laios went to the Oracle of Apollo to ask for a prophecy. However, he did not like this prophecy saying that he would finally be assassinated by his own son. When Iocasta gave birth to a baby boy, Laios ordered a shepherd to abandon him, but the shepherd left the kingdom taking the baby with him.The baby grew up in another kingdom and when he started rumors and doubts of his origins, he travelled to Delphi where he had the same prophecy – He decided not to go back, so on his way to Thebes, he met his real father without knowing it and due to a misunderstanding, he killed him. That time Goddess Hera had sent a monster, a Sphinx on the mountain of Thebes. Sphinx was putting the riddle to the travelers that was saying: “Who is the creature where at dawn is crawling (goes with four limbs), in the middle day goes with two and in the evening goes with three, can be transfigured and change the voice.The young man found the answer, namely that the creature was a human being. At dawn, this meant that when the man is a baby it crawls, in the middle of the day the man is capable of walking on two and finally late evening it means that when it gets old, it will walk with the help of the stick.The young man who became a King after he married his mother, Queen Iocasta was named after Oedipus. His name meant the one with the sorted legs. After years, they found out what had happened and following the birth of four children, Iocasta hanged herself from the roof of the palace and Oedipus went blind and died in Athens. This rich city where most Thebans are owners of the plain of Boeotia, historically was devastated by Alexander the Great, while during the Persian fights of the 5th century, their behavior was friendly towards the Persians. That is why the Athenians were trying to control them.As the train keeps running on the rails and as we are passing through the fertile plain of Boeotia, the next historical spot after Thebes is the area of Chaeronea. A name that is based, according to one myth, on a local hero and son of God Apollo, while the ancient name of the daughter of the wind deity Aedos and both names represent the divine origins of the place.Apart from the ancient remains, like that of the theatre, Chaeronea has as an indicator very well-preserved remains of an important historical and political fight that took place 2,400 years ago in 338 B.C. We are talking of the great statue of a lion, made of marble, and standing like a Guardian close to the battlefield of the fighting between the Greek Macedonians with Philip the 2nd, father of Alexander the Great, and not the Athenians, Thebans, and other Greeks.It was an important battle as the victory of the Macedonians indicated their presence in the southern part of Greece. With many losses from both sides, but also with a lot of information about military techniques of the Macedonian and Theban Army, the Lion of Chaeronea, dedicated by the city-state of Thebes is standing on a renovated base, reminding us of the battlefield became their own burial.
Crossing the Greek countryside - Prefecture of Phthiotis
As the train keeps traveling the landscape changes and becomes wilder as beautiful, high mountains are surrounding us like Parnassos and Gkiona with 1250 species of plants on our left side. There is a famous plain of Thermopylae located nearby the monument of the brave spartan King Leonidas and his three hundred (300) Spartan warriors who sacrificed themselves to delay the thousand Persian warriors of King Xerxes.On the right side the Lamias gulf is spreading out widely and the fertile plain of the city of Lamia with the cotton and rice fields and to the left on an altitude of 30 meters, almost ten feet on the high mountain of Oiti with an altitude of 2,152meters – 6,500feet.Now, we are crossing from the historical bridge of Gorgopotamos covered by the high black pine trees and Abetes (Christmas trees), maple and willow trees which characterize the vegetation of the mountain, the bridge of Gorgopotamos river was destroyed during World War II on the 25th of November 1942. The Greek resistance in collaboration with the British saboteur put explosives on the bridge against the Italian and German forces, who were defending the bridge. The result was that it took six weeks to be repaired and the reason for the destruction was to cut the supply of the German forces of the North Africa El Alamein. The battle of El Alamein had already taken place a week ago. The train is running on the rails of the bridge and covering 250 meters, approximately 800 feet, and now is reaching a small city in the province, the city of Domokos.Domokos had an ancient name as it was an ancient city. On a hill with a splendid view towards the big plain of Thessaly, this city looks like the remaining of a medieval castle that dates back to the 13th century, a period of the Franks nationals. Now we are passing through the second biggest plain of Greece and we are in Central Greece and in the plain of Thessaly. These fields are covering the of 25% of the Greek territory whereas the rest 75% are high hills and mountains.
Crossing the Greek countryside - Thessaly
Thessaly is the land of Titanomachy (Titans against the 12 Gods of Olympus) the land of Jason and the Argonauts, the land of the Centaurs, Achilles, and yet the place where the god of medicine Aedipis started. This is the land that got united quite late with the free part of Greece after the revolution of the Greeks in 1821 against the Ottoman Turks and that was in 1881. It is the land wherein 1910 under the revolution of the farmers, who had lost their property but were working as slaves in them during the Ottoman time, ended in blood as the police shot at them leaving behind three dead. But with this sad and violent incident, the plain of Thessaly had been divided again and re-distributed. The train is passing close to one of the cities of Central Greece, namely Karditsa. A different explanation of the name reveals part of its identity. A city with a significant bicycle network with a railway station of Karditsa city is old, since 1885, and connects Athens with Thessaly.As we are travelling along past city of Karditsa, we are reaching another key area of Thessaly, namely Trikala – A town close to the town of Kalambaka and of course to our purpose the Meteora famous for its Monasteries. While we see the big fertile plain where farmers are growing the wheat, corn, and sunflowers, but mainly the cotton, the range of mountains that orients and dominates the place is the Pindos mountain range.Two important rivers are crossing the field; the largest one is Pinios, which is the third biggest river in Greece whereas the smaller one is in the region of Trikala, Lithaios.Trikala has been founded 4,000 at least years ago and its first name was Trikki, the name of a nymph deity follower of Artemis Diana, daughter of Pinios or river Assopos. The most important thing is the fact that Asclepius being the God of medicine started from this place. He was like a king of the place. The myth of the existence of God in contrast with the truth is mixed up. The sanctuary of the God of medicine was operating like a hospital, while the sons of Asclepius were also doctors and it is known to have participated in the Trojan war.In order to explain the meaning of the identity of Asclepius, we need to say that his father was the God of music and harmony, namely Apollo whereas his mother was a mortal girl by the name Koronis. Asclepius learned how to cure the people next to the centaur of Thessaly, Chiron. The ancient Greeks worshipped Asclepius as the God of medicine. The town is named after Trikala almost one thousand years ago.It was in 1907 when the city and the big plain of Thessaly flooded as the four rivers overflew at the same time when eighty inhabitants died, while the railway had been drifted away. The railway station of Trikala is renovated and preserved as a building dating back to 1886 and like this one there are many interesting architectural-style old buildings and Byzantine churches dating to the 14th and 15th centuries.
Crossing the Greek countryside - Kalambaka
We are arriving at our last stop before the spectacular rocks of Meteora, namely the town of Kalambaka. In this location a thousand years ago was the ancient city of Aeghinion.Specifically, during the 10th century A.D. Byzantine times when this name changed into “Staghoi” which essentially means the expression “towards the Saints” because the term Saint in Greek translates into “Aghios”. However, from a different context, this would also mean a grain house as the location spot.In 1348 B.C. The Serbians of King Steven Dousan occupy the town fortress. Finally, the town is conquered by the Ottoman Turks and nominated as “Kalambaka” which would mean “Great Fortress.”This town is located at the foothills of the geological phenomenon of the rocks by the name Meteora. With a population of almost 8,300 inhabitants, the river name Pinios to cross and the high mountain of Koziakas to dominate becomes our starting point for our climbing on three out of six monasteries of Meteora.One of the most important Byzantine churches at Meteora is dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary, which dates back to the 11th century, constructed with ancient members of a temple as one of the must-to-see places in this town. The only Byzantine church in Greece where its ambo is in the center of the main room. The train finally drops us on the platform of the railway constructed in 1886 and our ascent kicks off.
Αscending the Ηoly land
A rocky forest is standing in front of us with a prenoted history of one million years as the result of convulsions and earthquakes. According to one theory, the materials accumulated and became solidified due to the difference in temperature and pressure. The rocky hills dominate the area and look overwhelming as the smooth shape, fossils, and soft consistent caves. Caves used to be isolated places for the hermits’ monks. It was in the 10th century A.D. when the first hermits approached the area. Their purpose was to obtain communication with God and reach a spiritual level. They were living in the natural caves of the rocks and slowly a monastic society was formed. The first construction was a small cell room, the skete for Mother Mary, where each Sunday they had their common service and prayers. The monasteries around us date back to the 15th or 16th century when it is estimated they were constructed. The monasteries were about twenty-four, but now they have been reduced only to six monasteries and the biggest and oldest one lies on the highest widest rocky pillar. We are talking about the “Great Meteora” dedicated to the transfiguration of the Lord. Almost three hundred and thirteen steps will lead us to the front of the main entrance. Until 1923, they used ladders and the net. The tower of the net is what we see as we cover the first steps, and raise our eyes above the rock.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron – Climbing up
A sidelong roof on the top of a wooden balcony was constructed in the 16th century about 1570. From this spot, the monks used to throw away the net to pull up the visitors, tools, and goods. Now they are using an electrical device for their restorations. The complex of the “Great Meteora” waits for us to visit as the next sightseeing attraction. As we start climbing up the hill and reaching halfway on a platform, there is a bench to relax and after a while, we see the new frescoes angiography of the transfiguration of the Lord, and many offerings of the believers. Once the platform was the cave where St. Athanasios, the founder, and constructor of the first little church was living there. It was in the 14th century when St. Athanasios with other monks went further up to the widest part of the rock and that is where he constructed a quite simple chapel in the form of a cross and a dome to be on the top. In the year 1382, six years later the Servian prince IOANNIS (John) URESSES who becomes IOASAF added the main aisle in 1388 and was painted in 1484.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron – The entrance
By the time we reach the entrance and pass the ticket control, we must mind our steps as the narrow corridor is uneven and rocky. On our left-hand side, there are narrow steps that could lead us to an upper level at the balcony and the kitchen of the monastery since the 16th century and maintains the equipment that they were using since that time.While we are going past the pathway on our right-hand side, there is a cellar that operates as a museum displaying regular objects for everyday use.A bit further and still on their right-hand side, we can see the cistern that used to be a wing and the ossuary with the relics such as sculps and bones of the hermits’ monks. Sometimes the monks don’t open the door in order to keep the ossuary invisible to the tourists. The rooms that we are viewing as we enter the area are part of the tower which is constructed in the 16th century as the location spot of the net used by the monks at that time. Walking up the steps by our left-hand side, there is a long corridor operating like a museum as a landmark of the War of Independence in 1821. Climbing up the staircase on the left side, a pretty yard opens up with a new fresco on the wall that shows the connection of ancient philosophy with Christian orthodox beliefs. Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle are pictured next to important Saints, considered the base of the Orthodox Christian religion like St. Peter or St. Paul.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron – The building of “Trapeza” and around
As we are walking towards the left side, we are reaching the spot called balcony. The view is breathtaking from up and reveals in front of us inside the plain of Thessaly, the river Pinios as well as the high mountain Koziakas surrounded by local villages. The buildings in the yard of the monastery date back to the 16th century (1557 A.D.) constructed with a Byzantine architectural design, which is a combination of bricks (tiles) vertically and stripes horizontally with layers of limestone in between those materials. This building which is now the museum of the monastery used to be the “Trapeza” as the dining room where the monks used to congregate. A length of 35 meters or almost 10 feet with pillars to sustain the tiles roof which is decorated with geometrical patterns is the so-called “museum Trapeza” and has important exhibits. Cous and carved wooden crosses with so much detail. Some of them are covered with semi-precious stones. We know that it could take about ten years for the carving while most of them were donations. We do see Evangelium and calices for the Holy Communion, Bishop clothing, and sigils. Behind the “Trapeza”, we see the sanatorium hospital of the monastery constructed in the same century and architectural design and this operates as a museum. A fireplace extending further up looks interesting to everyone. Turning back towards the church in dedication to the Transfiguration of the Lord, we do observe that between the narrow circular windows of the eastern side of an apsidal shape. There we can find a marble small pillar with an inscription that refers to the construction of the holiest chamber of the little church, namely the sacristine with geometrical patterns and the museum Trapeza has important exhibits like icons and carved wooden crosses in detailed patterns. Some of them are covered with semi-precious stones. We know that it could take about 10 years to carve them, while most of them have been donations. We do see Evangelius and calices for the holy communion, clothes of the bishops, and sigiliums. The sacristine room has an altar and is dedicated to Mother Mary (1387 – 1388 A.D.). It was once the very first church constructed during the time of St. Athanasios who was the first monk who went to live there. The monk has been credited as the one who started the monastic life at Meteora.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron – Entering the church
Walking to the entrance of the church, we can see on the right-hand side a long piece of wood and next to it a mettoche of 4 circular bars like a bell object. We do call them “talanton”, knocking if with a particular way that makes a sound like a bell and imitates the wooden sticks that Noa used to call the animals and save them from flooding.On our left-hand side, one of the oldest frescoes – angiography where the white fond represents paradise while Mother Mary is sitting on a throne as the Queen of the place. The monument is partially destroyed, but not as a whole. Entering the first room of the little church, dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, we observe that everything is painted with the frescoes. As the frescoes refer to saintsBehind the “Trapeza”, we see the sanatorium hospital of the monastery constructed in the same century with a respective architectural style that operates as a museum. It looks interesting to see that the fireplace is open in front of us and extends further up and allowing them to warm up themselves up.Turning back towards the church dedicated to the transfiguration of the Lord, we observe that between the narrow, circular windows on the eastern side, we find a marble small pillar with an inscription. The inscription is about the construction of the holiest chamber of the listed church- the sacristine- the room that has the altar and is dedicated to Mother Mary (1387-1388 A.D.). The sacristine was once the very first church constructed during the time of St Athanasios the first monk who went to live there and thanks to him started the monastic life on the Meteora.Walking to the entrance of the church we see on the right-hand side a long piece of wood and next to it a metal of 4 bars circular like a bell object.We call them “talanton”, knocking it in a particular way makes a sound like a bell. Imitates the wooden sticks that Noa used to call the animals and save them from the Flooding.On our left-hand side, one of the oldest frescoes- “aghiography” where the white fond represents paradise while Mother Mary is sitting on a throne as the Queen of the place. The scene is destroyed but not totally.Entering the first room of the little church dedicated to the “Transfiguration of the Lord”, we observe that everything is painted with the frescoes. As the frescoes refer to saints, from now on we call them Aghiography (as aghios means saint).This room was the room of preparation for the Christians. With their prayers could proceed to the main room of the church which we call it “Katholikon”. The room of preparation, we call it Narthex and during that time in the 16th century was decorated with aghiography that was referring to the torment of the first Christians.Observing the frescoes, we see that a red stripe orients them. The font is dark blue, and the faces of the martyrs are strict, the same for the saints who are wearing plain clothes. They grow long beards, they look skinny.The torment of the first Christians during the Roman time looks very alive. We observe decapitations, crucifixion, and excoriation, pulling them on a paved road.While our sight gets caught on a tomb-like rectangular construction located on the corner. Above the grave are standing as aghiography the two monks constructors saint Athanasios and Saint Joasaf holding the church and offering it to the Lord.A meaningful fresco is the Baptism in the narthex. We see Christ in Jordan river, the Holy Spirit above him, the rocks around and saint John the Baptist touching his head, while next to Christ four Angels are buwing. On the corners and next to the feet of the Lord we see a man sitting on the back of a dragon. That man represents Poseidon, meaning the ancient belief, while the figure on the other side represents a fortune-teller.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron – The main part of the church
Before we enter the main part of the church, the “Katholikon” we see to the left and up the first ecumenical Synod of 325 at Nicea of Bithenia (the Synod cleared matters that had to do with the connection and meaning of Christ and God)Above our heads nine little domes. Surprised by the extension and details of the frescoes, we proceed to the main room, the “Catholicon”.In front of us the Icon stand-division between the main part and the sacristine. It is made of wood with detailed carvings of peacocks and grapes colored with pigment and wax. Next to the gate of the icon standing to the right is Christ wearing red first and blue clothes on the top and he is holding the bible. While to the left is the unique icon of Mother Mary as the Queen of roses.Mother Mary is wearing a crown and is holding in one hand like a scepter a bunch of flowers while on the other hand is holding young Christ as if he is a King. Christ is looking like a teenager – an adult and he is holding the universe as a sphere and on the other hand a sword-like cross. His garments are decorated with flowers as of Mother’s Mary, so both of are looking royal.Above their heads on clouds are two angels.The icon dates from 1790 dedicated by the abbot Parthenios according to the inscription.We keep in our mind that the icons of the icon stand are dating between the 16th and 19th centuries.The main room of the church, the “Katholikon” was decorated in 3 phases. Most of the aghiography dates from the 16th century, meaning in 1552. On the dome, dominates Jesus Christ as the “One”, next to the narrow windows under the dome, the apostles holding the scripts, while on the 4 triangles the four Evangelist with their emblems : like Mathew with his symbolism of a man, as the man was first, according to the prophet Ezekiel animal.Follows Evangelist Marcus with the symbolism of a lion, as his evangelism starts with the living of St. John the baptist who was living in the desert where lions are living too.Evangelist Loukas with his symbolism of an ox, as his evangelism starts with the worship of the old law where people were sacrificing oxen.Finally, the evangelist John with his symbol of an eagle is the supreme symbol of the eternal birth of the son of God and his speech. Therefore he took the adjective “Theologos” = Speech of God.The upper part of the main room, which refers to the life-like miracles and passion of the Lord, as crucifixion, but also transfiguration, lasts super, the palm Sunday the Assumption of Mother Mary (Dormition) covers the spiritual world. The world we need to reach.The walls of the “catholic” that is covered with the military saints and hermits – saints, refer to the living world, a world that died for the belief of the Lord.The aghiography of the Great Meteor is considered as a high art example of an aghiographer, Theofanis, who was following the kretian school.Before we leave the Monastery of the Great Meteor, definitely we visit also the old kitchen which is located across the church and on the way to the bastion.
The Monastery of Varlaam – The entrance
The next big monastery in order is the monastery of Varlaam, constructed in the monastery 16th century, at an altitude of 434 meters (almost 1300 feet) and the main church is dedicated to all the Apostles.With the access of more than 100 steps we are reaching the ticket control as first we are passing from a niche seeing on our left-hand side the icon of plaster, of the two constructor-monks dedicating the monastery to Mother Mary. The names of the two monks who were brothers also were Nektarios and Theofanis. It took to them 20 years to bring the material up, which was stones, bricks, and wood as they were using the net.They needed though only a few weeks to complete the construction of the little church.The name Varlaam is due to the first hermit monk who stayed on this rock in the 14th century.Passing the ticket control and following the steps we see in front of us, we see on our left-hand side a spectacular due to view balcony, constructed recently, while on our right-hand side are a few more steps that are leading us to a covered with a decorated roof calling it outernarthex.Trees are around us and the cells of the monks are to the left as we enter the outer-narthex.It has been constructed recently to protect visitors from the weather conditions. There are icons depicting Lord, Mother Mary, and the 2 constructor monks, while the ceiling is painted with flowers and a byzantine style prayer.
The Monastery of Varlaam – The Church
Straight ahead in front is located the little church with the candle stand to the right and the first aghiography above the door: strict faces of Jesus Christ in the middle, St John the Baptism on his right side, and Mother Mary on his left side.Entering the first room – the Narthex - constructed in 154, and painted in 1566, we start observing the realism of the aghiography. The torment of the first Christians being crucified, decapitated, being pulled on a stony road, being skin removed. Blue dark, green, red, are the pigments that dominate. The color was getting mixed up with egg yolk and vinegar as the aghiographies like ‘Frangos Katellanos’ and the brothers ‘Kontaris’ had to spread on an almost humis wall.Our sight is getting attracted by an aghiography above the entrance door. We see St. Sissois whipping above a skeleton in a coffin. The skeleton belongs to Alexander the Great. The meaning is the vanity of this world as death is the same for all people without exception.On the dome the Merciful Lord dominates. In glory with the unreachable level painted light blue and the society of the angels around him.The rare of all aghiographies is the one above the little door that connects the narthex and the main room of the church; the ‘Katholikon’ – the ‘Second Apparition’ or the Day of Judgment. We see Lord above the Preparation of the Throne, while on one side ‘Paradise ‘ gets depicted with Mother Mary as the Queen of Heaven sitting on a white fond and flowers around. The 3 fathers from the old testament 9Adam, Noa, Abraham) are holding the notions while a congregation of angels and people who will make it to enter Paradise, are following St. Peter, the one who is holding the key of the gates.On the other side, a river of blood is culminating, the monster of Apocalypses ‘’Leviathan’’ and with grey-brown color, all the lost sinful souls.In the center, the Angels will weigh the souls but even in the last minute always will be the time to regret and to gain entrance to heaven, as we see with the angel who is showing the way to Paradise to a lost soul who has as loaves of bread on his head his sins.Before we proceed to the ‘’Katholikon’’ we see an empty grave on the right-hand side of the ‘’Day of Judgment’’. Above it, the 2 constructor monks deliver the church to the Lord while in a metallic box their scelics are being kept.
The Monastery of Varlaam – The main room of the Church
Entering in the “Katholikon” of the church which is the main room what strikes our attention are the pretty hagiography that dates in 1548. On the dome we see Lord again but we focus above the door and we see the Assumption or Dormition of Mother Mary. Detailed of the aghiography and tradition too is the bed of Mother Mary, who slept (died) and the archaengel is cutting off his hands, while Jesus is holding in his arms the soul of Mother Mary as baby.Above this aghiography the Crucifixion of Lord. The detail of this scene is that one of the thieves who denied the existence of Lord has his back on us, while under the cross of Lord the earth is cracking and the dead appear.Of the most sentimental representation is on the right part and dose to the narrow windows the moment that they remove the body of Lord under the cross and Mother Mary is kissing and touching his face, like sisters of Lazarus are crying.The resurrection on the same part shows to us that the first sinners ADAM and EVA got saved.Turning our gaze we see the Transfiguration of Lord while on that side, opposite of the Resurrection Lord looks like baby-adult. The lower part of the church represents the living world again, that’s why we see military saints with their weapons, hermit saints with the long beards and strict faces.The upper part of the church, close to the dome gets repeated with the angels and the 4 evangelists.Finally, the iconstand is very detailed. There is the scene of Last Supper on the apside above the little door, that separates Catholikon with the abaton, the room where the table of offerings is located.The icon stand was constructed in 1784-1803 and is decorated with carved figures of saints, like St. Georges and of course colored with gold and red.
Leaving the Monastery of Varlaam
Leaving the church through the sidal little door, we see trees and a strange wooden longboard and a metallic circular of 4 stripes instrument.The are calling them “Talanton”, because as the abbot is striking one of them with the rhythm of the syllables of the word “talanton” can call the monks to get congregate. The talanton was referring to what Noa used to call the animals and place them into the arc to save them from the flood.Passing again in front of the entrance of the church we reach the external side of the church and we see a storage with a barrel dating in the 16th century and a capacity of 12.000 liters.Apparently, the monks constructors were using it for water before the construction of the water cisterns.Leaving from the barrel we pass to the net tower, a construction o 1537. They were using the net till the construction of the steps, for bringing up the materials or visitor monks.Before we leave totally from the Monastery of Varlaam we pass from the beautiful museum, which is downstairs to the right and the first use of the building was to be the “Trapeza”, the place where the monks had their common meals.In this great as exhibits beautiful, renovated building are exhibited import out amanuscripts items for the Holy Communion, detailed wooden carved crosses, icons, garments of bishops and a tapisserie that refers to “Good-Friday” and “Epitafios” made of the golden thread of 1609.“Epitafios” is when the body of the Lord lies down, after the crucifixion in the tomb.Let’s conclude our visit by saying that the monastery of Varlaam, among all the monasteries, was a big laboratory of rewriting and copying the gospel and decorating it.From the bastion of the net, the view is breathtaking while the Great Meteor is visible and the rocks around.Leaving behind us the 2 big monasteries and the little monastery of Rousano and St. Nicolas the restless we make our way to the Monastery of St Steven the New Martyr passing next to the monastery of the Holy Trinity.
The Monastery of St. Stephen – The entrance
On the lowest rocky pillar is located the monastery with the easiest access.The rock was firstly used at the end of the 12th century but the first construction of the monastery is dating in the 14th century. As we pass the bridge and the main entrance, after the ticket control big wide steps are leading us to a beautiful yard with trees and flowers with the cells of the nuns and a new church of the 18th century.It is the church of St. Charalabos, a bit different as material comparison to what we have seen up to now.St. Charalabos was a man of God who was living in the 2nd century A.D in Asia Minor. During the Roman time had suffered a lot and finally decapitated
The Monastery of St. Stephen – The main room of the church
Entering the main church, the Katholikon, the movity of the hagiography is that on the walls of the church there are male and female saints, hermits and all the hermit- monks constructors of the monasteries of “Meteora”.What follows is similar to the previous monasteries like the Dormition of the Mother Mary, the crucifixion, the great presentation Resurection and the transfiguration of the Lord on the opposite side.The 4 evangelist, the Apostoles, and of course Lord as the ONE on the dome. Very detailed is the icon-stand made in 1814. Observing it we find curved figures of saints on the 2 doors and peacocks that symbolize the speech of the Lord. The carved lions on the endings of feet of the chairs are symbolizing power, bravery, and wisdom.Above the gate of the icon stand, we can see a carved wooden capsid that shows to us the Lord with his disciples sitting around the table. We can see the representation of the last supper.Before we leave the church of Saint Charalabos, our sight is stopping on the icon of the Saint with all the personal, made of gold, items hanging.As we consider the saint miraculous, many believers are dedicating something personal, like crosses or jewels showing their respect. In front of the icon in a metallic box being kept the relics like the sculp of the saint, a donation to the monastery from 1798 by a ruler of a roumanian house.Finally, on the floor the star of David is presented, as the Lord was from the life of David, plus the eagle with 2 heads, the emblem of the Bizantine empire, representing the 2 capital cities: Rome and Constantinopole (Instabul). In 1961 the monastery became a nunnery and it was in 1972 that has been restored.
The Monastery of St. Steven – The ‘Narthex’
As we enter in the narthex we see the aghiography that is so dear an detailed. The decoration of the church started in 1980 and keeps going. The ceiling starts with the creation of the world. The darkness, the light, the night, the day everything directed by the hand of God, the hand of creation.The decoration of creation goes on with the sea, the mountains, the animals, the planets.On the sidal wall we do see the important meeting – synods of the emperors with the father of the church, that took place ages ago to dear and solve religious matters.The torment of the martyes gives the position to the tortment of the Saint. The effort of the soldiers to remove his skin, to be sent to a common, sinful house till his final tortment that was the decapitation.The rare and meaningful iconography is the Day of judgement on the main wall, on the right part of the narthex. The preparation of the throne, under lord with the unreachable light that surround him in light–blue color.The heaven with Mother Mary on the left and the fathers of Nation from the old testament, the thief holding his cross as he gained the entrance to paradise with his faith. Saint Peter unlocking the Gate with the society of the believers and above the gate the 6 wing angels (the spiritual form of the angels).In the center of the hagiography, we see a river of blood and the dark angel, Satan, holding in his arms the disciple of lord who betrayed Him, that was Judas.Four emperors with their emblem animals are following, sitting on the rocky hills. These 4 emperors were the 4 empires that changed the world, like Nabucodonosor and Babylon (the flying lion ) Xerxes and Persia (the white bear), Alexander and Macedonia (the dragon with the 4 heads) and finally Rome with the dragon having horns but the third one is a child. This child refers to Antichrist.Opposite of this hagiography and next to the door that connects the narthex with the main room, the Katholikon, we see the scale of Jacob, the scale reaching the door of heaven. Even the angels will be judged in the second apparition.On our right hand side above the door, we are using as an exit, we see the torment of St. Steven the new Martyr. The Jewish council is tormenting him by throwing stones while down below to the right we see Saint Paul (the Apostol) holding the clothes of Saint Steven. At that time saint Paul was not yet Christian.Before we leave the narthex we observe the 2 icons and their wooden base. The icon shat showing lord has the caring from the old testament of Abraham taking Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him. Angel of the Lord is stopping him though.The other icon of Mother Mary, holding in her hands baby Christ, was the carving of the annunciation. The archangel holding the flower is making the announcement to mother Mary that she will be among the women the ones who carry the Lord.
The End
Going into the beautiful garden of the monastery we admire the view towards the city of Kalambaka, the big plain of Thessaly, the mountain Koziakas and the river of Thessaly looks like a snake.The monastery has an interesting collection of icons, crones, and garments of bishops, exhibited in the building that they were using as “Trapeza”, the place of gathering for the monks.Our visit comes to an end with a feeling of fulfillment. I am sure you will agree that pictures truly cannot do Meteora justice. The smells, sounds, and fresh breeze all contribute to the magical feeling you get at the crown of the rocks.Thank you for the companion, and we hope you enjoyed this journey “on the clouds”.If you‘re up for even more authentic travel experiences, visit our website at www.keytours.gr and choose among plenty of guided tours covering great sites of Greek history. Antio sas!
