When Catholics and Protestants think of religion, they usually think of places like Rome or Jerusalem. That there could be holy places in Greece or Anatolia does not come to our mind. Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem and Rome was for centuries the seat of the Pope, the legitimate successors of Saint Peter.
Believe this is the Great Meteoron Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour - took the Photo from Google Map's Panoramic View
But the New Testament was neither written in Jerusalem nor in Rome. Christianity became a mass movement in the Hellenistic World. The New Testament was written in Alexandria, Antioch and Ephesus. The bible was compiled in Constantinople. Four of the five Church Patriarchs lived in the Greek speaking world (Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch), only one resided in Rome (the future Pope) The split of the church into Catholics and Orthodox in 1054 obscured these basic facts. When people in Anatolia and the Levant adopted Islam, many religious places became inaccessible for centuries.
The Location of the Holy Places covered in this Blog
There were many holy sites in the ancient Hellenistic world. One of them was the Church of Virgin Mary in Ephesus, now in ruins. A bit further to the west, there are places though which survived. The following is not a comprehensive list but my personal selection.
Monastery of Saint John the Theologian built after 300 AD over the old Acropolis
For me, the most important one is the island of Patmos where John the Apostle was deported to when he became too influential for Ephesus’ merchants and their Roman masters. The island is about 100 km away. There, Jesus revealed to him several divine mysteries which he wrote down in the Book of Revelations. It became the last chapter of the New Testament. The book dates back to 95 AD. We do not know many details about the life of John the Apostle. Some theologists believe that he also wrote the Gospel of Saint John. But It is impossible to prove.
View from the top of the Monastery. Patmos is still off the beaten Track
Saint John passed away five years later but it would take another 200 years until the first churches and monasteries were built in his name. The most important was the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian built on the foundations of the old acropolis during the reign of Emperor Constantine. The monastery still dominates the landscape of Patmos. It can be visited as many others of the island’s monasteries. The Cave of the Apocalypse where Saint John received Jesus’ revelation can also be visited. Patmos remains an important pilgrim place for Orthodox Christians and is - luckily - off the beaten track. But we will visit.
Panagia Ekatontapiliani in Paros is dedicated to Mother Mary and probably the oldest Pilgrim Site in the Aegean
The next important place is on Paros, the island 50 km south of Mykonos and next to Naxos. Paros is famous for its translucent, white marble. Many people say it is the world’s best but good friends in Khalkidhiki believe marble from Thasos, the most northern Greek island, is even purer. Be it as it may, Paros was known for centuries for the Panagia Ekatontapiliani (the church with 100 doors – except that it doesn’t have 100 doors).
The beautiful Inside of the Panagia Ekatontapiliani
Built in 326 AD by Saint Helen, Constantine’s mother, on her pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it is devoted to Virgin Mary. Once in Palestine, Helen arranged the construction of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem and bought the stairs of Pilate's Palace in Jerusalem. The 28 white marble stairs are now In the Lateran in Rome – just next to the Basilica of Saint John - and are called Scala Santa. Guess that Helen chose Saint John, the protector of Mother Mary, as her Patron Saint. The Panagia Ekatontapiliani became the most important Marian pilgrim site in the Aegean. Renovated and expanded by Emperor Justinian, who also gave us the Hagia Sophia, Helen's church kept its role to this day. Paros is on our route to Santorini. We visit it.
The Petra Monastery on Mount Athos is one of the 20 Monasteries. It can only be reached by Sea and on Foot
A bit further north and too far west for the sailing this year, there is Mount Athos. It forms a special monastic district in Greece where only men are allowed and visits are strictly limited. About 2’000 monks live there today in 20 monasteries. The oldest date back to 700 AD but hermits were probably living in this secluded area for much longer.
There are no cars on Mount Athens - the Donkeys are still one of Men's best Friends
According to legend, Mother Mary and Saint John came to Mount Athos between 50 – 60 AD when their ship was blown off course. They had to take shelter in a bay near today’s Iviron Monastery. When the weather cleared, Mother Mary discovered the beauty of Mount Athos and asked Jesus to make it her garden. Since then, the peninsula is thought to be her place. The story may be folklore. What is true is that Mount Athos experienced a significant influx of monks from Egypt after the Arabs conquered the country in 641 AD. They were the first to build monasteries. There was a second wave of monastery building under the Serbian Kings in the 12th and 13th century AD. When the Ottoman took over, the monk’s relationship with the Sultans was peaceful. Many Sultans were benefactors to the monasteries. The Ottoman Empire was never about religion. We tend to forget.
The Hills behind Kalabaka with their typical Dome Structure
The last place I will talk about is Meteora, the youngest of the four. It is located near the town of Kalabaka half-way between the Gulf of Patras and the Macedonian border. People settled on these rocks and in the caves already 50’000 years ago. The geology of the domes is amazing. Sandstone and gravel sediments from a very ancient river delta were lifted up a few million years ago and exposed to erosion by wind and water which carved out these magnificent domes.
The Monastery of Varlaam in Meteora
There were hermits here already by the 9th century AD. But monasteries came later and were only built in the 15th century. The seclusion far away from towns and their hectic life style provided the peace and quiet the monks were looking for. Many arrived from Mount Athos. There were originally 24 monasteries around Meteora. But ¾ are now abandoned. Only 6 are still open. Access was only by ropes. But over the last few decades stairs have been carved and these monasteries can be visited on foot.
There are many more Holy Places in Greece like Tinos which are about as old as Lourdes. The famous Church of Mary in Tinos attracts more pilgrims in the Aegean than any other site. But today’s blog is about Holy Places with a long history.
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