Meteora, Greece.
Monasteries on top of huge rocks. As seen by Frances Lagoussis.
In the early days of Christianity, somewhere in the 12th Century, punishment and suffering became a way of life for the members of the new religion. The monastic community that came into being in this impressive rocky landscape is unique in the world, while the astonishing natural phenomenon that gave it its existence is of great geological age and has long been the subject of study by many Greek and foreign geologists, archaeologists and scientists.
The most probable origin of this complex of colossal rocks emerged from the delta region of a great river which flowed for thousands of years into the narrow but deep sector of the sea that they covered the whole of what is today the plain of Thessaly.
It was here that many monks chose to settle on the summits of the soaring rocks half way between earth and sky, seeking to live close to God for the remainder of their years, while turning their backs upon mundane things and devoting themselves to prayer and spiritual contemplation.About five hours driving from the capital of Athens, Greece, you will come across the small town of Kalambaka, which nestles at the feet of one of the strangest natural phenomena on our planet. Gigantic rocks, over 500 in number and up to 400 metres in height are scattered over an area of 20 sq. kms. Dark grey in colour and with smooth surfaces, they tower above the nearby towns. In winter, when their tops are lost in the mists, their appearance seems like being in another world. And on top of theses rocks are built the most magnificent monasteries. How did they get there? How were they built?
The first hermits to live and seek solitude amongst these immense outcrops of rock settled long before the 10th century of our era. They lived in caves and crevices in the rock face where they dedicated themselves to prayer and to constant study of early Orthodox texts.
Later communities worked out ways to get to the top of the rocks to build monasteries. They would dig holes in the rocks and climb up step by step. They would take up with them some kind of rope which they would drop to their companions at the foot in order for them to bring up the stones one by one, in order to build these monasteries. I
Over many many years monasteries were built on the summits of the rocks, protected from attack by ladders which could be hauled up in an emergency. This isolation from the world enabled the monks to feel that they had truly cut themselves off from worldly life and hung suspended between heaven and earth.
Of course over the many hundreds of years the monasteries have declined and today there are only six monasteries functioning, one or two or which are opened to tourists
In the 1930’s staircases were carved in the sheer rock walls of the pinnacles on which the monasteries stand, which saved them from decay and started up what is today on of the biggest tourist sites in Greece.
