Meteora

Meteora

The Meteora rock formation is located in Thessaly, Greece. The caves around Meteora were continuously inhabited between 50 000 and 5000 years ago. The earliest known built structure, the stone wall blocking two-thirds of Theopetra cave entrance, was built 23 000 years ago, and a number of finds from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods were found in the caves. The site is home to one of the biggest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, and is the second importance after Mount Athos. The complex of six monasteries is constructed on huge natural pillars and mountainous, rounded boulders which dominate the local landscape. The originally twenty-four monastery was founded between the 13th and 14th centuries on the cliff-tops near the town of Kalabaka, on the north-western edge of the Plain of Thessaly, close to the river Pineios and the Pindus Mountains. In 1988, Meteora was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List for its exceptional architecture and beauty, as well as its religious and artistic significance. The name Meteora means "lofty", "elevated", and is related etymologically to meteor. The six active Meteora monasteries today are truly inspiring, they are the Monastery of Great Meteoron, the Monastery of Varlaam, the Monastery of Rousanou, the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, the Monastery of the Holy Trinity and the Monastery of Saint Stephen. Meteora is particularly popular in summer with hikers, trekkers, mountain bikers and rock climbers from all over the world.