Greece - Meteora Monasteries

By Dorris Day

Some lonely heights from a veritable forest of huge rocks crowned with monasteries which are in mysterious harmony with the landscape can be seen in Meteora. The monks are always ready to receive you in the parlour, offering you the hospitality which the example of Abraham and Greek tradition demand. Up there solitude and lence are the rule. Wherever you look you will be aware of an unparalleled peace and calmness, exactly as happens with a star-filled sky in autumn which is filled with voiceless ecstasy. There on those barren and inhospitable rocks, which became palaces for thousands of ascetics Orthodox monks have learnt to be wise in thought and humble in will. Within them lives another world, free from the violence of the elements and unbounded by time, from which each monk can draw power to resist the elements of nature and hymn the creation through the cataclysm in which he is often in danger of being lost himself.

As soon as you find yourself in the dark churches of the Monasteries of Meteora, you are seized by a feeling which is a mixture of faith and reverence. The holiness of the place, with its carved wooden and gilded screens, its marvellous icons, the cycle of the life of Christ, above, its wealth of murals drawn from the dogmatic, historical and liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church, creates an atmosphere of profound faith in the Creator. Everything there is characterized by extreme cleanliness and reverence. The ascetic forms which are portrayed on the screens and on the walls seem to speak to you in the play of the flickering light of the candles and that little which comes from the lamps. An atmosphere of the divine rules everywhere. Involuntarily you whisper words of prayer, directing your thoughts to the Creator. You have the feeling of talking with Him; you have left the earth and your thoughts are in the heavens. The dim light which comes from the sky-lights in the domes and from the few windows is the mysterious link between heaven and earth. It is here that you believe that you are in heavenly places and experience the mystical forces which work in the soul, with the result that the barriers which separate the human spirit and nature are broken down. Your soul is possessed by awe and love as an expression of the experience of the unapproachable. You are aware of an internal light and a peace giving joy which are difficult to describe. God is close to you, He is within you and you are in mystical communication with Him. It is at this moment that you find yourself.

After the churches of the monasteries of Meteora the monks will take you to see the sacristies and the libraries. Hung on the walls or displayed in show-cases you will find miniature works of art and painting which have taken great patience and persistence to complete to admire. Parchment gospels and large numbers of manuscripts of a historical and liturgical nature, portable icons, the products of skilful hands and a powerful imagination, Good Friday bier cloths, vestments embroidered in gold with an abundance of grace and dexterity, valuable silver and fire-gilded cases, a variety of fine crosses in gold, enamel or silver with precious stones and pearls, and hundreds of other liturgical and ecclesiastical objects are preserved and shown with reverence to every pilgrim.

In the libraries the monks preserve valuable manuscripts and hundreds of documents. The majority of handwritten codices, which are of parchment, deal with various religious, historical, medical, philosophical and mathematical matters. There are, of course, also those which are written on paper, dating from the 14th century. Some of these codices contain remarkable miniatures preserved in excellent condition. There are also gold bulls, decrees of the Patriarch of Constantinople, lead bulls, patriarchal decrees etc., which testify to the generous benefactions of emperors and patriarchs over the centuries.

Thus the indomitable will of the monks to preserve and pass on what they had received from their predecessors, their foresight and cunning in difficult times and above all their self-sacrifice have saved these relics, which constitute an invaluable national ancestral treasure.

During the most recent study carried out in the monasteries of Meteora 1124 codices were recorded and classified by N. Veis, distributed among the monasteries as follows: Monastery of the Great Meteora 610, Monastery of Varlaam 269, Monastery of St. Stephen 103, Monastery of the Holy Trinity 47, Monastery of Rousanou 52, and Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas 43.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit the monasteries of Meteora Greece and take the Meteora Monasteries Tour. While you are there you can stay at Kalambaka - Meteora Hotels which are fabulous.

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