... Breathtaking view of Meteora... impressive giant rock pillars that climb up into the sky... on top of them you spot the famous Meteora monasteries... of the 24 monasteries originally constructed on the summits of Meteora’s towering rock sculptures (some of them are demolished) only six are still active with a small number of monks or nuns who reside on Meteora... these six form one of the largest and most important complexes of Greek Orthodox monasteries... you can visit them and learn about living in these impressive structures and see the priceless artifacts and wall paintings... the sound of the church bells combined with the views of the valley is truly magical... bearing in mind that these monasteries were constructed using a very basic system of ladders, pulley, nets, and baskets to haul materials up the sheer rock faces, few monks would be fortunate enough to witness the completion of one in their lifetime... the monasteries of Meteora are the second most visited tourist attraction in the country... one of the most amazing places in Greece...Thanks a lot Monika! (✿◠‿◠)
Meteora is a geographical region in mainland Greece where you’ll find immense towers of sandstone rock with heights of more than 600 meters, split by earthquakes and weathered by wind and rain over millions of years.
No-one knows exactly when the monasteries were established, but it is estimated to be somewhere towards the end of the 14th century, when the hermit monks were seeking a retreat from the expanding Turkish occupation in an around the fertile plain of Thessalia.
The name, Meteora, is of Greek origin, literally meaning "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above" due to the sheer height at which the monasteries stand, isolated from each other and hundreds of metres above the fertile plains below.
In 1988, the Meteora monasteries have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Stamp:
Travelling in Greece - Crete
(Issued 29-06-2023)
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