Meteora - WikiHQ

thumb|Meteora by night

Meteora (; , ) is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, viewed locally as second in importance only to Mount Athos. Their height is more than .

Twenty-four monasteries were established atop the giant natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area, mainly from the second half of the 14th century under the local rule of Simeon Uroš. The Meteora complex, comprising the six extant monasteries, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of its outstanding architecture and beauty, combined with religious and cultural significance.

The name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor.

Geology

Beside the Pindos Mountains, in the western region of Thessaly, these unique and enormous columns of rock rise precipitously from the ground. But their unusual form is not easy to explain geologically. They are not volcanic plugs of hard igneous rock typical elsewhere, but the rocks are composed of a mixture of sandstone and conglomerate. a series of earth movements pushed the seabed upward, creating a high plateau and causing many vertical fault lines in the thick layer of sandstone. The huge rock pillars were then formed by weathering by water, wind, and extremes of temperature on the vertical faults. It is unusual that this conglomerate formation and type of weathering are confined to a relatively localised area within the surrounding mountain formation. The complex is referred to an exhumed continental remnant of Pangean association.

Vegetation grows thickly out of the vertical rock walls, mainly due to the water that one is able to find in the cracks and crevices that scale the cliff. Over the past several hundred years, the reports that the Meteora was easily accessible by foot have changed because now one must pass through an impenetrable jungle.

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 (Earth was experiencing an ice age at the time), and many paleolithic and neolithic artifacts of human occupation have been found within the caves.

Meteora is not mentioned in classical Greek myths, nor in Ancient Greek literature. The first people who were documented to inhabit Meteora after the Neolithic Era were an ascetic group of hermit monks who, in the 800s CE, moved up to the ancient pinnacles. They lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some of them as high as 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. At this time, access to the top was via removable ladders or hoisting ropes. Currently, getting up there is much simpler, due to steps having been 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.

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 was constructed. By the late 11th century and early 1100s, a rudimentary monastic state had formed, called the Skete of Stagoi, and it was centered around the still-standing church of Theotokos (Mother of God). The creation of the monastic community at Meteora was protected and sponsored by the local lord Simeon Uroš, based in nearby Trikala, who in 1356 had proclaimed himself Emperor of Serbs and Greeks following the death of Stefan Dušan.

Simeon Uroš was succeeded in 1370 by his son John Uroš, who three years later retired as a monk to the Meteoron monastery and died there in the early 1420s. At the end of the 14th century, Christian rule over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly, which they finally secured in the second half of the 15th century. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Ottoman Empire, found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, In the words of UNESCO: "The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction."

Until the 1600s, the primary means of conveying goods and people from these high places was by means of baskets and ropes.

Under the 1881 Convention of Constantinople, Thessaly was taken-over by the Kingdom of Greece. In 1921, Queen Marie of Romania visited Meteora, becoming the first woman ever allowed to enter the Great Meteoron monastery.

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.

The monasteries of Meteora

thumb|right|250px|Map of Meteora, with the six extant monasteries, as marked

At their peak in the 16th century, there were 24 monasteries at Meteora in Greece. They were created to serve monks and nuns following the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Much of the architecture of these buildings is Athonite in origin. Today there are six extant, of which four operate as monasteries, while the remainder are largely in ruin. Perched onto high cliffs, they are now accessible by staircases and pathways cut into the rock formations. The monastery's second name is, The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration, which got its name from the second church St. Meteorites built. The successor of Saint Athanasios was Saint Joasaph, who continued to build more cells, a hospital, and renovated the churches atop the rocks. The Monastery thrived in the 16th century when it received many imperial and royal donations. At the time it had over three hundred monks living and worshipping within its cells. It is still a living monastery as there were three monks in residence as of 2015. Monks have been present since the 16th century, however, there has been a constant decline in their presence since the 17th century.

St. Nicholas Anapausas

right|thumb|The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas

The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas () is located atop a small narrow rock. It is approximately eighty meters high and the first which the pilgrims encounter on their way to the holy Meteora. The Monastery was founded in the late 14th century and today is surrounded by the deserted and ruined monasteries of St. John Prodromos, the Pantocrator, and the chapel of Panagia Doupiani. In the 14th century, John Uroš moved to the Meteora and endowed and built monasteries on top of the rock cliffs. He offered the sanctuaries as a safe haven during times of political upheaval. Some do say that the exact construction date of the monastery like many of the other monasteries is unknown. By the end of the 16th century this was one of the last six monasteries still atop the Meteora. The monastery is made up of many buildings including new katholikon, the "hestia" (kitchen), an old refectory that has since become a museum, and an assortment of rooms with different purposes. Coordinates are also given for some sites. The list is primarily sourced from Vlioras (2017), || 120px

| || Agiou Georgiou tou Mandela || Αγίου Γεωργίου του Μανδηλά || Ruins at the Holy Spirit (Agion Pnefma) Rock (). Kerchiefs (mandilia) are traditionally hung at the cave entrance. The cave is 15 metres long and 4–5 metres deep at its center, and is located approx. aboveground. It may have been one of the four monasteries founded around 1367 by Neilos, the Prior of the Skete of Stagoi. The Cave of St. George of Mandila may be the same as the Cave of Archimandrite Makarios near Pigadion. || 120px

| || Agiou Gregoriou || Αγίου Γρηγορίου || Founded in the 14th century. Ruins () on Pyxari Rock. || 120px

| Holy Apostles || Agion Apostolon || Αγίων Αποστόλων || Ruins have been preserved (). Founded in the early 16th century (perhaps by the monk Kallistos) and documented in 1551. Only ruins, murals, carved stairs, and a cistern remain. Located on Agia Rock at the southern edge of the Meteora rock complex. Full Greek name: . || 120px

| || Agion Taxiarchon || Αγίων Ταξιαρχών || Monastery ruins () on Archangel (Taxiarchon) Rock (Βράχος Ταξιαρχών). ||

| Holy Monastery || Agias Mones || Αγίας Μονής || The monastery was mentioned in 1614, which at the time was inhabited by more than 20 monks. Ruins () in the Sterna area near Ypsilotera Monastery. The monastery had also sought to gain recognition as a stavropegion. || 120px

| St. John of Bunilas || Ioannou tou Bounela || Ιωάννου του Μπουνήλα || Ruins of monastery walls in an area called Bunila, known as Palaiomonastiro (). ||

| St. John the Baptist || Agiou Ioanne Prodromou || Αγίου Ιωάννη Προδρόμου || Founded in the mid-17th century. Ruins () located on a rock directly adjacent to the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas. The rock on which the monastery was built was the residence of Athanasius the Meteorite. Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades, the founders of the Monastery of Varlaam, also lived on the rock for seven years before they built Varlaam. || 120px

| Kallistratou || Kallistratou || Καλλιστράτου || Exact location uncertain. In the general area of the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas and Monastery of Rousanou. Also known as the Monastery of Christ the Savior (Μονὴ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ, Moni Sotiros Christou). ||

| St. Modestus || Agiou Modestou || Αγίου Μοδέστου || Built around the 12th century. First mentioned in a 12th-century letter. Also mentioned in 1614. Ruins () on Modesto (Modi) Rock (rock on the right in the photo). || 120px

| St. Nicholas of Badova / || Agiou Nikolaou tou Bantova / || Αγίου Νικολάου του Μπάντοβα / || Founded in a rock cave on Badovas Rock. Not preserved, since in 1943 it was bombed and destroyed by the Germans. Ruins (), which can be reached via a series of ladders passing through three caves, located at the southwestern edge of the Meteora rock complex. || 120px

| Panagia of Mikani / || Panagias tes Mekanes / || Παναγίας της Μήκανης / || Founded in 1358 in a rock cave (). 7 km north of Vlachava village, near the Ion (or Mikani) River, a tributary of the Pineios. It can be reached via a dirt road that goes out to the northeast from the village center of Vlachava. A carved staircase leads up to the rock cave. Elevation: about 600 m. Also, directly behind it lies Kallistra Rock (βράχος Καλλίστρα), the site of the ruins of the Monastery of St. Kallistos (Μονή Αγίων Αποστόλων Καλλίστου), which is also called the Monastery of the Holy Apostles (Μονή των Αγίων Αποστόλων). ||

| Pantocrator || Pantokratora || Παντοκράτορα || Mentioned in documents from 1650. Ruins () at the Dupiani area. It is located about 30 metres above the ground. || 120px

| || Alyseos Apostolou Petrou || Αλύσεως Αποστόλου Πέτρου || Probably built around 1400. Ruins () on Alysos (Άλσος) Rock. || 120px|Altsos Rock

| St. Theodore || Agion Theodoron || Αγίων Θεοδώρων || Ruins () located near Theopetra Cave, southeast of Kalabaka town. ||

| Ypapantis || Ypapantes || Υπαπαντής || Founded in 1367 by the Prior/Abbot of the Skete of Dupiani. In 1765, it was restored by Athanasios Vlachavas, a local leader. Today, Ypapantis Monastery (literally "Monastery of the Presentation of Jesus") is inactive and rarely visited, although the building () has been restored. The interior of the building is usually closed to visitors. Accessible by footpaths, one of which passes by Ftelias (Φτελιάς) Rock. || 120px

| Ypsilotera / || Mones Ypseloteras / || Μονής Υψηλωτέρας / || The monastery was famous for its manuscripts and calligraphers. Founded in 1347 by Paschalis of Kalambaka. Ruins () located on Ypsilotera Rock (585.7 m ||

| Pyxari (Πυξάρι) || Rock with cave hermitages perched on cliffs, formerly inhabited by ascetics. Located at the southwestern edge of the Meteora rock complex. || 100px

| Ambaria (Αμπάρια) || Rock with cave hermitages perched on cliffs, formerly inhabited by ascetics. Located at the southwestern edge of the Meteora rock complex. || 100px

| Monastery of St. Eustratius (Moni Agios Efstratios, Μονή Αγίου Ευστρατίου) || Little-known monastery on Surloti Rock (βράχου Σουρλωτή). || 100px|Surloti Rock

| Staircase of St. Eustratius || The Staircase of St. Eustratius () is located on the eastern side of St. Eustratios Rock. There are a few different stairways carved into the rock. || 100px

| Monastery of Theostiriktos (Μονή Θεοστηρίκτου) || Location uncertain. In the general area of Stylos Stagios (βράχου Στύλος Σταγών) / Agion Pneuma Rock. ||

| Cell of Constantius (Κελί του Κωνστάντιου) || Northeast of Pyxari Rock in a forested valley (). Also called the Panagia Hermitage (Ασκητήριο της Παναγίας), Panagia Chapel (Ναός της Παναγίας), or Trani Church (Τρανή Εκκλησιά). || 100px

| Monastery of St. Nicholas of Petra (Μονή Αγίου Νικολάου της Πέτρας) || Ruins () on Badovas / Bantova Rock, just to the west of the monastery of St. Nicholas of Badova. Also known as the Monastery of St. Nicholas of Skala (Αγίου Νικολάου της Σκάλας). || 100px

| Kelarakia () || Ruins () on a rock directly to the east of the Monastery of Varlaam. The Cell of St. Paul the Apostle () can probably be identified with Kelarakia. The Plakes (Πλάκες) area, a valley with various rocks, is located just south of Kelarakia. || 100px

| Monastery of the Three Hierarchs (Μονή των Τριών Ιεραρχών) || Somewhere to the east of Kastraki. Exact location unknown. ||

List of rocks

thumb|right|250px|The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Rocks of Meteora

There are various rocks of Meteora that surround the village of Kastraki and border the north side of the main town of Kalabaka.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! rowspan=2|Site !! rowspan=2| !!colspan=2| Elevation !! rowspan=2|Notes

! m !! ft

| Adrachti || || ||

| Agia / Megali Agia || || || Literally, "Large Aya"; site of the historic Monastery of St. Apostoles ().

| || || || Site of the historic and Monks' Prison

| Alysos / Altsos / Alsos || / / || || Site of the historic Monastery of the Apostle Peter's Chains

| Ambaria || || ||

| Archangel || || || ||

| Badovas || || || Site of the historic

| Chalasma || || || ||

| St. Dimitrios || || || || Site of the Monastery of St. Dimitrios and Ypapantis Monastery

| Dupiani || || ||

| St. Eustratius || || || ||

| Ftelias || || || ||

| Kelarakia || || || ||

| Kumaries || || ||

| Marmaro || || || || Literally, "marble"; traversed by a paved road that connects Kastraki with Kalabaka

| Mikri Agia || || || || Literally, "Small Aya"

| Modi || || || Site of the historic Monastery of St. Modestus

| Psaropetra || || || || Literally, "Fish Rock"; now a viewpoint on the main road that is popular with tourists

| Pyxari || || || Site of the historic (Ασκηταριά Αγίου Γρηγορίου του Θεολόγου), Monastery of St. Anthony, and Monastery of Chrysostomos

| Surloti || || ||

| Toichos Alpha  || || ||

The greater Meteora rock formation also extends northwest into the Gavros and Agios Dimitrios areas, although the term Meteora is commonly used to refer to only the rocks around Kalabaka and Kastraki.

Gallery

Image:Meteora in the early morning hours.jpg|Meteora in the early morning hours

Image:Greece meteora monasteries.JPG|The Rousanou, the Nikolaos and the Grand Metereon monasteries

File:Ιερά Μονή Ρουσάνου.jpg|The Monastery of Rousanou (in order from background to foreground). The Holy Spirit Rock is on the left side, while Dupiani Rock can be seen in the center, at the middle of the valley.

Image:Meteory 1 wisnia6522.jpg|Panorama of the Meteora valley

Image:Meteora valley, Meteora, Greece.jpg|Panoramic view at Meteora valley

Image:Monastery Varlaam, Meteora, Greece.jpg|Panoramic view at the Monastery of Varlaam

Image:Roussanou, Meteora, Greece.jpg|Panoramic view at the Monastery of Roussanou

Image:Varlaam and Grand Metereon, Meteora, Greece.jpg|Panoramic view at monasteries of Varlaam and Grand Meteoron. From left to right: Kelarakia, Varlaam Monastery, Holy Monastery, Ypsilotera, Devil's Tower, and Grand Meteoron.

</gallery>

Recreation

Meteora is popular with hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and rock climbers from around the world, particularly during the summer. The Meteora MTB Race, also known as the Vasilis Efstathiou (Βασίλης Ευσταθίου) MTB Race, is held annually at Meteora.

In popular culture

The monastery of Holy Trinity was a filming location for the 1981 James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.
The 1957 film Boy on a Dolphin is partly shot in Meteora. Clifton Webb's character visits Meteora, and goes up to the Holy Trinity monastery to do some library research.
Scenes in Tintin and the Golden Fleece were also shot at the Meteora monasteries.
Michina, the main setting of the movie Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, is based on Meteora.
Meteora is the main location in the fiction book The Spook's Sacrifice, by English author Joseph Delaney.
One of the surviving characters in Max Brooks's zombie apocalypse novel World War Z finds refuge and peace of mind in the monasteries during and after the zombie war.
The 2012 film Meteora, directed by Spiros Stathoulopoulos, is set in the monasteries and scenery of Meteora.
The primary location and name of Volume 3 in the comic book series Le Décalogue by French author Frank Giroud is based on Meteora.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC Map "Sanctuary" is set in the monasteries of the Meteora.
The 2003 album by Linkin Park takes its name from the site.
The monasteries were a filming location for the 1976 action movie Sky Riders. starring Susannah York, James Coburn and Robert Culp.
In The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode "Travels with Father", Indiana and his father visit Meteora.
Meteora served as an inspiration for the Eyrie in the Game of Thrones television series.
The design of the Elysium realm in The Fate of Atlantis downloadable chapter of Assassin's Creed Odyssey was inspired by the geology of Meteora.
Meteora was the location of the first challenge in the eighth season of the Belgian reality show De Mol.
A professional wrestling move innovated by CIMA was named after the Meteora, as that was where he had proposed to his wife.
The external design of the level "St. Francis' Folly" in the 1996 game Tomb Raider and its 2007 remake was inspired by the lofty monasteries of Meteora.
Meteo, a fictional country from Disco Elysium, is based on Meteora.

References

External links

Meteora beyond monasteries: a unique place in central Greece
The Meteora monasteries
Suspended in the air | Meteora timelapse video of Meteora
Natural History Museum of Meteora and Mushroom Museum Kalambaka
Meteora Trails (In 2021, an effort to map the entire trail network of Meteora began, which now consists of 14 interconnected trails covering the entire area.)