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The Metéora (Greek: Μετέωρα, "suspended rocks", "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above") is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos.[1] The nearest town is Kalambaka, Greece. The monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern 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. Metéora's criteria[2] for the UNESCO World Heritage Site are I, II, IV, V and VII.[3]
Although it is unknown when the monasteries of Metéora were established, as early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were believed to be living among the caves and cutouts in the rocks.[1] By the late 11th or early 12th century a rudimentary monastic state had formed called the Skete of Stagoi and was centered around the church of Theotokos (mother of God), which still stands today.[1] 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,[1] only six remain today. These six are: 'Great Meteoron (or Transfiguration), Varlaam, St. Stephen, Holy Trinity, St. Nicholas Anapausas and Rousanou. There is a common belief that St. Athanasios (founder of the first monastery) did not scale the rock, but was carried there by an eagle.[4] Access to the monasteries was originally extremely difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed 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".[5] 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."[6] 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. During World War II the site was bombed and many art treasures were stolen. Only six of the monasteries remain today.[6] Of these six, five are inhabited by men, one by women. Each monastery has fewer than 10 inhabitants. The monasteries are now amongst the most popular tourist sites in the world and now serve primarily as museums.
Since the 9th century, an ascetic group of monks moved up to the ancient pinnacles.
The first people to inhabit Metéora were hermits, who lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some of which reach 1800ft (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 Dhoupiani.
By the end of the 12th century, an ascetic community had flocked to Metéora. At the end of the 14th century, the Byzantine Empire's 800-year reign over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly.
Until the 17th century, the primary means of conveying goods and people from these eyries was by means of baskets and ropes.[7]
In 1344, Athanasios Koinovitis from Mount Athos brought a group of followers to Metéora. From 1356 to 1372, he founded the great Meteoron monastery on Broad Rock, which were 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.
In 1517, Nectarios and Theophanes built the monastery of Varlaám, which was reputed to house the finger of St John[disambiguation needed] and the shoulder blade of St Andrew.
Studies suggest that the pinnacles are formed about 60 million years ago during the Tertiary Period.[8] Weathering and earthquakes then shaped them into their present shape.
Beside the Pindhos Mountains, at the western region of the Thessaly plain in the middle of northern Greece, these sandstone rocks rise from the ground. The rocks are composed of a mixture of sandstone and conglomerate. They were formed about 60 million years ago. A series of earth movements pushed the seabed upwards, creating a high plateau and causing many fault lines to appear in the thick layer of sandstone.
Continuous weathering by water, wind and extremes of temperature turned them into huge rock pillars, marked by horizontal lines which geologists maintain were made by the waters of a prehistoric sea. Greek historian Herodotus wrote in the 5th century BC that local people believed the plain of Thessaly had once been a sea. If this was accurate, there was most probably an inundation at the end of the last Ice Age, around 8000 BC. However, he failed to mention the rocks of Metéora, and nor are they recorded in the writings of other ancient Greek authors. This has led to the belief that the pinnacles did not exist 2000 years ago; a theory dismissed by modern geologists.
The climate in the region varies greatly according to the time of year. It may be sweltering during summertime, but extremely cold in wintertime. Rainfall is generally heavy all year round, especially at higher altitudes, but the driest time of the year is during summer
Meteora este o aşezare monastică, constituind cel mai important Centru Monastic Ortodox al teritoriului grecesc, după Muntele Athos.
Meteora se află în partea de nord-vest a Câmpiei Tesaliei, în apropiere de Kalambaka, la ieşirea râului Pinios din frumoasa câmpie Tessaliana şi la aproape 300 m deasupra văii. Ca fenomen fizic este unic în toată lumea. Această formaţiune a luat naştere datorită unui con în formă de deltă, constituit din pietre de râu şi nămol, care se vărsau în vechiul lac tessalic. După separaţia geologică a masivilor muntoşi ai Olimpului şi ai Ossei, apele lacului au găsit ieşire la Marea Egee prin valea Tembi. Atunci, acest masiv în formă de deltă s-a scindat în pietre şi uriaşe stânci compacte cu înălţimi de până la 400 metri.
În prezent există 24 de mănăstiri, unele se găsesc într-o stare de ruină (Sfântul Duh, Sfântul Dimitrie, Sfântul Nicolae Padova şi altele), în timp ce altele se conservă foarte bine, intacte şi funcţionează (Marele Meteor, Varlam, Sfânta Treime, Rusanou şi altele). Sfânta Meteora, pentru mărturia ei creştină, istorică, arhitectonică, în general artistică şi geologică, este recunoscută ca una care trebuie să se păstreze şi ca monument ocrotit al omenirii de către UNESCO şi de către alte organisme internaţionale. |
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Really a wonderful panorama. thank you for sharinmg this great region.