Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron

The Monastery of Great Meteoron or Transfiguration of Christ, expresses the greatness and history of the Holy Meteora, as it is the oldest and most important monastery.

The Great Meteoron was founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite, who climbed on the top of the tallest rock, called Platis Lithos and he himself gave it the name “Meteoro”. There, between the earth and the sky, Saint Athanasios the Meteorite built the foundations of the first and greatest monastery, organizing at the same time the first systematic monastic community of Meteora. The Monastery of Great Meteoron or “Metamorfoseos of Sotiros” (Transfiguration of Christ) flourished during the 16th century.

Today, the Monastery continues its monastic work, while it is also open to the public. It is worth visiting and admiring from close up, works of great beauty and unique historic and artistic value. Admire the remarkable wall-paintings of Macedonian School of Art in the sanctuary of the church, as well as the wall-paintings of the main church and the narthex, which were created by Tzortzis, a student of Theophanes of the famous Cretan School of Art.

The Great Meteoron has interesting exhibition areas such as the cellar, which has been formed in a museum of daily life objects, the traditional kitchen with the unique residential utensils, the old 32m long table, one of the most characteristic examples of monastery architecture and the sacristy (ex nursing home – hospital).

Don’t miss to visit the remarkable library of the monastery with the rich collection of unique manuscripts. There are priceless treasures, from handwritten codes and byzantine documents to the texts of ancient Greek writers, which constitute a separate cultural heritage treasure. Finally, stand for a while in the monastery’s courtyard to enjoy the breathtaking view from the tallest rock of the Meteora stone forest.