View allAll Photos Tagged Meteora
Meteora, Greece
The Meteora (/ˌmɛtiˈɔːrə/;[1] Greek: Μετέωρα, pronounced [meˈteora]) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.[2] The six (of an original twenty-four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Between the 13th and 14th century, the twenty-four monasteries were established atop the rocks.[3] Meteora is located near the town of Kalabaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains.[4]
Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List under criteria I, II, IV, V, and VII.[5]
The name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor.[6]
Ancient history
Caves in the vicinity of Meteora were inhabited continuously between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago. The oldest known example of a built structure, a stone wall that blocked two-thirds of the entrance to the Theopetra cave, was constructed 23,000 years ago, probably as a barrier against cold winds – the Earth was experiencing an ice age at the time – and many Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts of human occupation have been found within the caves.[3][15]
Meteora is not mentioned in classical Greek myths nor in Ancient Greek literature. The first people documented to inhabit Meteora after the Neolithic Era were an ascetic group of hermit monks who, in the ninth century AD, moved up to the ancient pinnacles. They lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some as high as 1800 ft (550m) above the plain. This great height, combined with the sheerness of the cliff walls, kept away all but the most determined visitors. Initially, the hermits led a life of solitude, meeting only on Sundays and special days to worship and pray in a chapel built at the foot of a rock known as Dupiani.[2]
As early as the eleventh century, monks occupied the caverns of Meteora. However, monasteries were not built until the fourteenth century, when the monks sought somewhere to hide in the face of an increasing number of Turkish attacks on Greece.[16][17] At this time, access to the top was via removable ladders or windlass. Currently, getting up there is a lot simpler due to steps being carved into the rock during the 1920s. Of the 24 monasteries, only six (four of men, two of women) are still functioning, with each housing fewer than ten individuals.[18]
History and construction of the monasteries
The exact date of the establishment of the monasteries is widely believed to be unknown, however there are clues to when each of the monasteries were constructed. By the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, a rudimentary monastic state had formed called the Skete of Stagoi and was centred around the still-standing church of Theotokos (Mother of God).[2] By the end of the twelfth century, an ascetic community had flocked to Meteora.
In 1344, Athanasios Koinovitis from Mount Athos brought a group of followers to Meteora. From 1356 to 1372, he founded The Great Meteoron Monastery on the Broad Rock, which was perfect for the monks; they were safe from political upheaval and had complete control of the entry to the monastery. The only means of reaching it was by climbing a long ladder, which was drawn up whenever the monks felt threatened.[19]
At the end of the fourteenth century, the Byzantine Empire's reign over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Turkish occupation, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, beginning in the fourteenth century;[17] only six remain today.
In 1517, Theophanes built the monastery of Varlaam, which was reputed to house the finger of St. John and the shoulder blade of St. Andrew.[20]
Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders latched together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only "when the Lord let them break".[21] In the words of UNESCO, "The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 373 metres (1,224 ft) cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction."[22]
Until the seventeenth century, the primary means of conveying goods and people from these eyries was by means of baskets and ropes.[23]
In 1921, Queen Marie of Romania visited Meteora, becoming the first woman ever allowed to enter the Great Meteoron monastery.[24]
In 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. Thx to Wikipedia!
Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.
The six (of an original twenty four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. It is located near the town of Kalambaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains.
(Wikipedia)
This is a panorama of six photos and shows 4 of the 6 surviving monasteries. The other two are to the left of this frame.
Sunset Meteora.
Visit our: Photography workshops in Bulgaria
____________________________________________
Sígueme en mi página de Instagram (Follow me on IG): www.instagram.com/javiergirbesimages/
Por favor, no use esta imagen en webs, blogs o cualquier otro medio sin mi explícito permiso . © Todos los derechos reservados.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
Autumn in Meteora, Greece. One can clearly see the nearby Varlaam (All Saints') monastery (above, right), well separated from the Transfiguration's monastery behind it, hidden in the mist. One can see St. Nicholas Anapafsas's monastery, too (farther away, on the left).
Meteora is the name of the group comprising many impressive and lofty rock formations: The sandstone rock masses were formed 60 million years ago, are geologically unique and listed in UNESCO world herage sites. Monks have lived on Meteora since 9th century AD. The first cells of Varlaam monastery were built on the rock circa 1350 and so was a church dedicated to the Three Hierarchs; the first buildings were expanded into an entire monastery in 1517–8.
Canon EOS R5
Canon Canon RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM @ 24 mm
ISO 250 – f/11 – [ 1/25 & 1/10 sec ] HDR
Spectacular view of Meteora formation in Greece at sunset.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
Sunset on Meteora, Greece
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
Sunset Meteora.
Visit our: Photography workshops in Bulgaria
____________________________________________
The Holy Monastery of Varlaam – The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second largest monastery in the Metéora complex.
It was built in 1541 and embellished in 1548. A church, dedicated to All Saints, is in the Athonite type (cross-in-square with dome and choirs), with spacious esonarthex (lite) is surrounded by a dome.
It was built in 1541/42 and decorated in 1548, while the esonarthex was decorated in 1566.
The old refectory is used as a museum while North of the Church we can see the parekklesion of the Three Bishops built in 1627 and decorated in 1637.
@wikipedia
Panorama from Kastraki
and so from Ioannina I drove for just about 2 hours, the first hour on an empty motorway with lots of tunnels, the second on a very uneven and windy mountain road, to reach the village of Kastraki which sits below the imposing and spectacular cliffs of Meteora.
The Meteora (/ˌmɛtiˈɔːrə/;[1] Greek: Μετέωρα, pronounced [meˈteora]) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.[2] The six (of an original twenty four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. It is located near the town of Kalambaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains.
Wiki Pediatric
All rights reserved Copyright © Stephen Price
All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Feel free to drop by www.stephenpricephotography.com