The Meteora Rocks is a breathtaking geological phenomenon of massive vertical detached stone pillars (1200ft) crowned with monasteries balancing on their tops .
The UNESCO has declared the Meteora Monasteries a World Heritage Site as a vivid example of Byzantine culture of highest architectural value. Built within two centuries, from the 14th till the 16th, by monks who were previously hermits, these monasteries have become the center of the Orthodox monachism, which in its importance is comparable only to the Monastic State of the Holly Mount Athos. The Meteora Monasteries present a precious collection of religious art as well. Their iconographic workshops, which have preserved the spiritual heritage of Byzantium through the centuries, are famous in Greece and far beyond its borders. Located at the edge of the Thessaly Plain in Central Greece, the Rocks were formed by the currents of the prehistoric Thessaly Sea millions of years ago. The Meteora region has been officially declared a Natura 2000 Ecological Zone by the Greek Ministry of Environment, in order to protect the rear species of birds and plants. The Meteora Rocks are literally dotted with numerous caves, which used to give shelter to many hundreds of hermits who came here from all over central Greece in search of absolute solitude and spiritual elevation. Back then the Rocks used to bear another name, the Stagon Rocks (meaning “water drops” in Greek). The modern name “Meteora” or "suspended in the air" dates to St. Athanasios of Meteora (14th century), a monk who was forced to leave the Holy Mount Athos, and became a founder of the organized living in communes’ monachism. During the 16th century, as the monasteries were thriving, their number reached 24. Until the beginning of the 20th century the monasteries were not easily accessible for the pilgrims. The ladders, either rope or wooden, were not very reliable, and the grids that were lifted by pulling a hand winch were swinging and, occasionally, breaking down. The monks had no access to electricity and water until recently. The historical and military vicissitudes of the 19th and 20th centuries caused the abandonment of the most of the previously inhabited monasteries. Today only six of them are functioning: four are monasteries, and two are nunneries. The total monastic population doesn’t exceed 120 persons. The Meteora Rocks is one of the most popular excursion destinations for tourists of different nationalities. Besides the fascinating natural beauty of the landscape, any visitor, even not religious, admires the spirituality of the place combined with the history.
