Great Meteoron, Meteora - Greece
Feeling elevated and exalted
Located in the area of Thessaly in central Greece, Meteora is not only deeply impressive talking about its scenery but also an ancient architectural wonder and full of religious orthodox tales. Out of a total of 24 monasterial buildings constructed onto sandstone rocks by the hands of monks seeking shelter on the cavern tops due to political disputes between Turkey and Greece, six are still in use and inhabitable. Initially the only way to access the monasteries was by climbing removable ladders. Derived from the greek term 'meteorizo' Meteora can be translated as "elevated & exalted". The site got inscripted to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988. Integrated into the panoramic views of Meteora, @matescho introduces us to the "Great Meteoron" monastery, which is the largest and oldest (built from 1356 - 1372) one of the rock monasteries and showcases well preserved original Greek Byzantine art in its main cathedral and the appendant museum.