Photos, videos and docs of Jaap van 't Veen, with the keywords: "monastery"

Greece - Astros, Loukous Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:40:37 +0000

The Loukous Monastery (Ιερά Μονή Λουκούς) is probably built on the site of an early Christian church of the 5th century AD. The current catholicon - was rebuilt on its remains in 1117 - is a domed church of the composite four columned. It is decorated with fine wall paintings and its floor is paved with coloured marble slabs. The iconostasis is decorated with portable icons dated to the 17th century. (Just a pity we were not allowed to take pictures inside the church)

Today the monastery is one of the most important Byzantine monuments in Arcadia. The most possible etymology of the name of the monastery is from the Latin word “Lucus”, which means “Holy Forest”. The monastery was male until 1946 which after turned into a female one.

Greece - Kalavryta, Monastery of Mega Spileo

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 06:41:24 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The Monastery of Mega Spileo (Μονή Μεγάλου Σπηλαίου ) - formally the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Ιερά Μονή Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου) - is built on the western slopes of Mount Helmos at a height of more than 900 meters.

The monastery's architecture reminds of a fortress and it has eight floors. The cells of the monks are built around a cave. The monastery – one of the oldest of Greece - was originally built in 362 by two Thessalonian brothers, when a shepherd girl found an icon of the Virgin Mary inside a cave. The icon was made of wax and mastic and it is believed that Apostle Luke painted it. The icon survived a lot of fires and destruction and can still be admired in the monastery (PiP5).

In the year of 840 Mega Spileo Monastery was burnt down by a religious group. It was rebuilt in 1285 by the emperor Andronikos Paleologos, but suffered many destroying fires along its history. The monastery suffered another destruction in 1943 when the Nazi troops, after the massacre of Kalavryta, put the Monastery of Mega Spileo on fire and killed its twelve monks and its staff, either shooting at them or throwing them from the rocks. Some managed to survive, hidden in close caves after having taken some valuable icons with them.

Nowadays the Monastery of Mega Spileo is an imposing construction with a 17th-century church that hosts remarkable frescoes, mosaic floors and a bronze door with relief decoration. The Monastery also hosts a museum that displays carved wooden crosses, antique manuscripts, and Holy Gospels.

Greece - Feneos, Saint George Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 06:58:34 +0000

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Originally the Saint George Monastery (Ιερά Μονή Αγίου Γεωργίου Φενεού) was located much lower along the river Doxa (the current location of the Saint Fanourios Chapel). Due to floodings the monastery was rebuilt in its present location - at an altitude of 1.000 meters - at the end of the 17th century. In 1754, the monastery had to be renovated because of the damage caused by a fire.

Today’s 3-storey monastery has an indoor court where one can find the catholicon, a domed basilica, decorated with magnificent religious frescoes and a wonderful gold plated wooden iconostasis, adorned with images and representations from the Old and New Testament. Around the catholicon there are two and three-storey buildings which are the quarters of monks.

The monastery is well known for its spoon sweets, which is made by the monks themselves from roses. From the monastery one has a breathtaking view of the unspoiled landscape of Lake Doxa.

Greece - Kalavryta, Agia Lavra Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 06:07:32 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The monastery of Agia Lavra is one of the oldest monasteries in Peloponnese. The first one was built in the year 961, but it was burnt down three times: in 1585 by the Turks, in 1826 by the armies of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt and by the German troops in 1943. Finally, in 1950 the monastery of Agia Lavra was rebuilt. Which means the buildings are quite modern, except for a small chapel - dating back till 1600 - where the Greek War of Independence of 1821 was declared (PiP1).

The monastery’s museum is devoted to historical treasures. Among them perhaps the most remarkable is the Revolution’s Banner; the first flag of independent Greece (just a pity photography is forbidden in the museum).

Greece - Koroni, Monastery of Timios Prodromos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:34:06 +0000

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The monastery of Timi Prodromos is located within the walls of the castle of Koroni. It is still inhabited by nuns who follow the Julian Old Calendar. It was founded in 1918 by the monk Theodoulos, where he lived and practiced as an ascetic.

It is a large, well kept monastery, both inside and outside with the temple of Timios Prodromos and a chapel dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. The nuns are running a small souvenir shop (PiP4).

We climbed to the top of an octagonal tower - located inside the courtyard of the monastery - with amazing views over the village of Koroni and the endless blue sea (PiP5).

Greece - Petralona, Andromonastiro

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:25:57 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Andromonastiro (Ανδρομονάστηρο) is a Byzantine monastery fortress founded at the end of the 12th century. Since it was built like a fortress, it contributed significantly to the Greek War of Independence of 1821, where it suffered a lot of damage from Ottoman troops. In 1785, and in order to halt the decline of the monastery, it was dedicated, as metochi (= embassy church), to the famous monastery of Agia Aikaterini on Mount Sinai. They sold the complex in 1929 and in 1862 it was granted to the Voulcanou Monastery.

Andromonastiro stands out for its remarkable fortress-like architecture, with buildings from different periods and various uses. Thecomplex consists of a three-storey building with the dining room, a two-storey wing with the monks' cells, storerooms, stables and the wine press and another two-storey building with the main entrance to the monastery.

The katholikon (main church) of the monastery was built at the end of the 12th century on a holy place, a spring with drinking water, which still gushes today in an underground vaulted space. A second construction phase took place in the 17th century; in the middle of the 17th century, the northern chapel of Saint Catherine was added to the church. The oldest frescoes date back to the middle of the 13th century. The newest frescoes belong to the 17th-18th century and are located in the lower perimeter zone of the church.

The monastery, which was in ruins for many years, has been completely restored since 2011. Nowadays it is considered being the most impressive monastic complex in the Messenian countryside and one of the most beautiful in the Peloponnese.

Greece - Kalamata, Kalograion Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 07:09:50 +0000

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Kalograion Monastery (or “Monastery of the Nuns”) was founded in 1796 and has been a female-only Greek Orthodox monastery, housing hundreds of nuns through the years. It is dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen. The complex is situated among the foothills of Kalamata Castle in the narrow streets of the historical centre.

The complex’s main building is rectangular and surrounds a central courtyard filled with orange trees. It has a church integrated into it and also houses the nuns’ living areas. The monastery was built on the ruins of an abandoned 13th-century church, and some of the remains can be seen near the main altar.

Throughout its history, the monastery has also served as a local charity and as a place of refuge, coming to the aid of the local population during the Ottoman occupation, the German/Italian occupation, the Greek Civil War, and after the devastating earthquake of 1986.

The monastery was well known for the production of the famous Kalamata silk scarves, known to be among the finest in the world. One still can visit the weaving room. (As far as I understand the nuns are no longer weaving these products.)

Greece - Patmos, Monastery of Saint John the Theologian

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 07:41:51 +0000

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In 1088 in Patmos, St. Christodoulos the Latrinos (a gifted and educated monk) was granted funds by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, to establish a monastery in honor of Saint John the Theologian. In 1091, Christodoulos began the construction of the monastery over the ruins of a 4th-century basilica, also dedicated to Saint John.

The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, built on top of Chora, dominates the whole island and looks like a Byzantine castle. It is surrounded by an irregular rectangular defensive enclosure, dating from the late 11th century until the 17th. Among other buildings the katholikon and cells have been preserved since the Byzantine period. The monastery’s walls are over 15 meters high, its length from north to south is 53 meters and from east to west 70 meters.

The library of the monastery and the rich collection of relics is considered really famous, the most important examples of which can be admired in the sacristy.

In 1999, the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian was declared a “World Heritage Monument” by UNESCO, along with the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse.

As my wife's ancestors lived on Patmos in the 18th century, we have visited the island a couple of times. Since we have an original letter from one of the abbots, we also visited the monastery, hoping for additional information. Unfortunately, nothing was found there at such short notice.

Greece - Nauplion, Agia Moni

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:15:18 +0000

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The nunnery of Agia Moni is located a couple of kilometers outside the town of Nafplion. The katholikon (= main church) is dating back to the middle of the 12th century. It is one of the most important churches of the middle Byzantine period in Greece. According to its foundation inscription the church was built with donations of the bishop of Argos and Nafplion, who had constructed it in the year of 1149.

The church is mainly of architectural interest as the murals and decorations have not survived. Apart from the church, the monastery complex consists of small chapels and housing and living quarters for the nuns, who still life here. The church is dedicated to Zoodochos (= “Source of life”). Just outside the nunnery one can find the monastic spring, which is famous for its water.

Greece - Monastery of Panagia Molyvdoskepastos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 07:07:36 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates.

The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons.

After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood.

From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse (PiP5). It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.

Greece - Lefkada, Faneromeni Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 08:43:06 +0000

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Faneromeni Monastery - the most important religious center on the island of Lefkada - was built in 1634 on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunt, forests and animas. On this site, the students of Apostle Paul had preached Christianity some centuries ago.

In the Venetian times, particularly in the 18th century, the monastery was renovated, but unfortunately, two fires burnt it down. In the late 19th century the monastery was rebuolt in its current state. Today, it hosts an interesting Ecclesiastical Museum with rare Byzantine icons, paintings, carvings, handwritten manuscripts and other religious relics.

The monastery is located on a hill above the town of Lefkada and offers great views to the village and the northern side of the island PiP5).

Greece - Monastery of Prousos, katholicon

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:21:05 +0000

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The Monastery of Panagia Prousiotissa (the Virgin Mary of Prousos) is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and is one of the most important religious locations in Greece. According to tradition, the icon (PiP1) was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist in Prousa (nowadays Turkish Bursa) during the reign of the iconoclast emperor Theophilus. It was taken away from there to be saved from the burning of the icons the emperor had ordered. The icon was brought to Greece by a young man of noble origin, called Dionysios, but for an unknown reason the icon was lost when Dionysios arrived in Thrace.

This holy site dates back to 829AD and is linked to the adventures and the appearance of the holy icon in a cave of this area. The monastery was founded at the exact place which the Virgin Mary chose in a miraculous way. The miraculous icon of Panagia Proutiotissa is now kept in a carved cave church, the first church of the monastery. The katholikon is a cross-shaped temple with a dome. It dates back to 1754 and is also decorated with murals.

The icon was found on the 23rd of August which is also the date that the church celebrates. Monastery of Prousos is attracting many faithful each year, who come here to venerate the famous and miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.

Greece - Monastery of Prousos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:34:44 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The Monastery of Prousos (Monastery of Panagia Prousiotissa = Virgin Mary of Prousos) is built in beautiful surroundings on a steep rock and above the deep canyon of the river Karpenisiotis. According to the tradition, it was founded in 829 by monks Dionysios and Timotheos, who brought with them the icon of Virgin Mary from Prousa in Asia Minor. However, it is more possible that the monastery was established between the 12th and 14th century.

The monastery has a main building where Virgin Mary Prousiotissa is worshiped and a part where the cells of ther monks are located. A small museum is housed in the monastery with several exhibits such as icons dating back to the 15th and 16th century, sacred vestments, silver and golden chalices and handwritten codes and typography books.

During the War of Independence against the Turks, it was a refuge for Greek rebels. In August 1944 German troops burnt down a large part of the monastery, destroying many relics, handscripts, books and items of everyday use. The monastery has been rebuilt several times.

Greece - Matsouki, Vyliza Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 06:55:44 +0000

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The Vyliza (or Viliza) monastery is located near the village of Matsouki. It is built in a wild landscape on an altitude of more than 1.000 meters, overlooking over a gorge of Kallaritikos river. The name “Viliza” - from the Latin word “vigilo”, which means “guardian” - was given to the monastery. Its location and fortuitous construction justify the name.

Most probably the monastery was founded in the 11th century. But the most ancient written testimony of Vyliza is the icon of St. John the Baptist, dating back to 1676. The monastery was one of the most important in Epirus with a rich library and a great participation in the local community. The monastery has many cells around the catholicon in a rectangular courtyard. The little church has splendid frescoes, dating back to 1793. The precious icons of the church are replicas. The original icons are kept safely in a museum in the neighboring village of Matsouki.

In 1893 the monastery was abandoned and then destroyed. Since 1981 the monastery has been restored.

To visit the monastery, we first had to collect the key from a cafe in the village of Matsouki. After parking the car at the roadside, we could start a walk to the monastery. The stone-paved path went constantly up and down and counted many steps. When it started raining on the way back, it was quite a challenging walk of almost 2 kilometres. (See PiPs on the right side of the main picture)

Greece - Elliniko, Tsoukas Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 06:48:26 +0000

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The Tsoukas Monastery is built near the village of Elliniko on the in the area of Katsanochoria. It dominates at the top of a rocky hill, above the impressive gorge of the Arachthos river, at an altitude of about 900 meter (PiP5.)

The monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, was founded - according to local tradition - by the Emperor Isaac II Angelos in 1190, flourished during the Despotate of Epirus. However, its presence is confirmed during the period of the Ottoman domination, mostly by the date 1668 that is mentioned in a handwritten comment on the statute of the monastery.

It constitutes a monastic complex of fortress construction, that includes the two-storey buildings of the cells, a catholicon, a cistern, a belfry and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. In the center of the enclosure stands the catholicon. It is a little single-naved church probably of the 17th century. The interior of the catholicon is covered with 18th century frescoes.

During our visit on a Sunday morning, a church service was going on. As the small church can hardly accommodate any visitors, the service was also available for visitors to follow via loudspeakers. Afterwards, there was coffee and “loukoumia” for everyone; a special experience.

Greece - Monastery of Panagia Molyvdoskepastos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 06:42:42 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates.

The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons.

After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood.

From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse. It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.

Greece - Kastoria, Monastery Panagia Mavriotissa

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 06:54:43 +0000

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The monastery Panagia Mavriotissa was founded in 1082/83 by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to commemorate the victory over the Normans and the recapture of Kastoria.

It is referred to in documents dating back to the 13th century as the monastery of Panagia Mesonisiotissa (= in the middle of the island). In the second half of the 17th century the name changed to Panagia Mavriotissa, because the inhabitants of the village of Mavrovo (nowadays ‘Mavrochori’) ensured that it remained in good condition.

The monastery played an important role in the history of the area, but remained closed for many years. It was reopened in 1998. Only a few buildings from the original monastery have survived. The church has a spacious narthex on the west side, which was added later. The interior is decorated with murals dating from the beginning of the 13th century. The icons on the outside date from the period 1259 - 1264.

The murals and drawings were damaged - all eyes of saints were removed - during Ottoman period. Some of these old frescoes were restored in the 13th century, while the outer wall of the narthex was decorated with new ones.

Greece - Veria, Monastery of Timios Prodromos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:09:54 +0000

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The monastery of Timios Prodromos (Saint John the Baptist) is the most important of the monastic settlements ('sketai') in the area around Veria. The historic stone monastery has been operating since the 14th century. Known as the “Skete of Veria”, as the monastery was built in a Holy Skete that existed on the site since the 9th-10th century.

The monastery was set on fire in 1822 by the Ottomans. The only structure that survived was the chapel of the Transfiguration of the Savior. In 1835 the monks rebuilt the cells, the new katholikon and a good part of the fortified wall; at this point the monastery assumed then the form it has today.

Remains of several Saints are kept in the Monastery, while visitors can admire many works of hagiographic art, some of which have been saved from the period before the destruction of 1822. Its katholikon is also remarkable, in the type of the three-aisled basilica, with magnificent columns made of trunk trees and imposing images.

Timios Prodromos is located at the verdant foothills of Pieria mountains, with an imposing view of the artificial lake of the Aliakmonas river; a fascinating landscape created by the river with the dense forests. The impressive entrance with the large, wooden medieval gates, the stone fountain, the relief of the buildings as they join the slope and the fresh air give visitors a warm welcome.

Greece - Moni Giromeriou

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 31 May 2023 06:12:50 +0000

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The Monastery of Giromeriou (or officially: The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Giromeri) was founded in the beginning of the 14th century (between 1310 and 1320), at the time of the prosperity of the Despotate of Epirus. It constituted an important monastic center and reached its greatest peak in the middle of the 16th century, when it numbered approximately 300 monks. The founder and first possessor of the monastery was Saint Nilos Erihiotis (1228-1334), who came from Constantinople.

The katholikon (main church) of the monastery was gradually built. It is a church of small dimensions and is constructed of four cross-shaped columns with a domed roof. Possibly, it was at first a single-nave church, while its present form, namely the four parts of it, is a result of renovations at different times

During our visit (May 2019) the brotherhood consists of four monks, who settled in the monastery in1989.

Greece - Mystras, Pantanassa Monastery

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 17 May 2023 06:31:12 +0000

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The Pantanassa (“Queen of All”) Monastery is the only monastery on the archaeological site of Mystras ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49139868 ), which is still inhabited. This sacred monastery was founded by a chief minister of the late Byzantine Despotate of the Morea, and was dedicated in September 1428. The domed church with its tall bell tower reflect a unique combination of Byzantine and gothic styles; it has a beautifully ornate stone-carved facade. The arched interior is filled with colourful frescoes.

When we arrived at the monastery after a steep climb, one of the friendly and helpful nuns welcomed us with a glass of cool water, a very sweet loukoumia and provided us with a wrap to cover our legs. We were surprised by the idyllic patio with lots of flowers and green plants.

Pantanassa Monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mystras.