Meteora and Thermopylae

Greece 2013
P001 Kalambaka, a small town at the foot of the imposing rock group of Meteora... one of the most ancient municipalities of Thessaly known as Eginio in ancient...
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P002 Meteora, one of Christianity’s holiest places as well as a landscape of outstanding natural beauty; a breathtaking site of impressive monasteries “balanced” on...
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P003 ... rock pinnacles of deltaic origin rising starkly over 1300 ft above the Peneas valley; these immense, solid rocks, split by earthquakes, weathered by water...
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P003b1 .... emerging about 25 million years ago as the elevated seabed material that was the outcome of strong tectonic movements, the Meteora rocks became a shelter...
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P004a1 ... in a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards; hermits and ascetics arrived...
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P005c1 ... 'Suspended in the air' (the meaning of Meteora in Greek), these monasteries represent a unique artistic achievement and are one of the most powerful...
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P007 St. George Madilas (St George with the Scarves), the most popular local cave, dedicated to St. George, located in one of the steepest slopes of a high rock...
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P008 ... to symbolize that act of donation honoring St George, believers hang colorful scarves once a year on a rope supported by trees, near the cave's entrance;...
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P009a2 ... six of the 24 monasteries remain today,,, of the six intact monasteries, the Holy Monastery of St. Stephen and the Holy Monastery of St. Barbara Rousanou...
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P0010a1a The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, the first monastery-photo stop of our Meteora touring... it was believed that the first hermits reached the rock...
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P012a1 ... the name Anapausas was used probably because of the location of the monastery, offering physical and mental rest, refreshment and serenity to monks,...
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P012a1a ... the limited surface of the rock forced the building of the monastery to be built vertically on floors; the present katholikon - the St. Nicholas church -...
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P019 ... the Meteora cliffs... rock formation... Stone Forest...
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P020 ... the four monk monasteries still housing religious communities to this date are... St. Nicholas Anapausas, Aghia Trias (Holy Trinity), Varlaam and...
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P022a1c The Holy Monastery of St Barbara Roussanou... spreading over the entire surface of the rock top, giving a grand impression of a single construction in the...
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P023c1 The Holy Monastery of St. Barbara Rousanou, dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ but honored to St Barbara, the Katholikon was founded in early 16th...
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P026b2 ... monastery was damaged during WWII, later repaired and since 1988 has been operating as a convent... The Holy Monastery of St. Barbara Rousanou...
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P026d3 St. Barbara Rousanou Monastery...
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P026f3 The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas... viewed from further up of the Meteora rock group...
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P026g1a ... continuing our Meteora touring or sighting of of the rock-top monasteries...
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