Religious Tourism
PLACES OF WORSHIP - MONASTERIES
In Magnesia, home to the historic Holy Diocese of Dimitrias and Almyros, there are many churches, chapels and monasteries for the visitor to see, whether to light a candle and pray or just to admire the magnificent architecture.
Let us take you on a tour of the places of Orthodox worship, silent witnesses to a bygone age. Monasteries and chapels where, in the evocative candlelight, the world changes, loses its banal, earthly appearance, and man 'renews himself' and is ennobled by faith.
At a short distance from the city of Volos we find four monasteries:
Aghios Gerasimos at Makrinitsa, Pammegistoi Taxiarches at Aghios Georgios Nileias, Aghios Lavrentios at the
village of the same name on Mt. Pelion, and the Panayia Monastery, dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin, at Aghios Vlasios, on Pilion.
There are also two monasteries looking down imposingly over the area of eastern Pelion:
There are also two monasteries looking down imposingly over the area of eastern Pelion: the Timios Prodromos Monastery at the village of Syki in Argalasti, and the Aghios Spyridon Monastery in Promyri.
Of particular interest in the southern part of Pelion are the Flamouri Monastery, dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Saviour, and in western Pelion and Mt. Othrys the two Panayia Xenia monasteries: the Panayia Ano Xenias, for monks, and the Monastery of
the Dormition (Panayia Kato Xenia) for nuns, the latter with a miracle-working icon of the Virgin painted, tradition has it, by the Evangelist Luke. |
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The islands of the Sporades belong to the Metropolitan See of Chalcis. On Skiathos there is the famous Evangelistria Monastery
The beautiful island of Skopelos has more than 360 churches, chapels and monasteries, among them the Ai Yiannis Monastery, the Aghios Riginos Monastery, the Timios Prodromos Monastery, the Taxiarchis Monastery with its Byzantine chapel, and the monasteries of Aghia Varvara and Evangelismos, from which one can look down across the whole island - laid out like a beautiful painting.
There are also so many churches and chapels in Magnesia that we have space only to mention a few of the most interesting:
The Panayia Goritsa or Panayia 'Trypa', the Church of Aghia Triada close to the Volos hospital, with its superb paintings by the great modern Greek artist Gounaropoulos, the Evangelistria in Nea Ionia, and Aghios Nikolaos, the church of the patron saint of the city of Volos. Also the church of Aghia Kyriaki in Zagora, the Archangeloi in Tsagkarada, Aghia Marina in Kissos, the Taxiarches in Milies, Aghios Nikolaos in Portaria, Aghia Triada in Mouresi, Aghios Athanasios in Alli Meria in the Municipality of Iolcos, Aghios Serafeim in the Kouri forest at Almyros.......
All of these churches are places of prayer and contemplation which offer an outlet from the stresses and problems of our daily lives
The monasteries of Magnesia:
For men:
Dormition of the Virgin, Ano Xenia, tel. 24220-22413
Transfiguration of the Saviour, Metohi, Volos, tel. 24210-70060
Evangelistria, Skiathos, 2427022012
For Women:
Dormition of Virgin, tel. 24220-94265
Aghios Gerasimos, Makrinitsa, tel. 24280-99171
Pamm. Taxiarches Ag. Georgiou Nileias, tel. 24280-93590
Ag. Spyridon Promyriou, tel. 24230-71077
Birth of Virgin, Ag. Vlasios, tel. 24280-93736
Tim. Prodromos Sykis, tel. 24230-54826
Ag. Lavrentios - Ag. Lavrentios, Pilion, tel. 24280-96226
Timios Prodromos, Skopelos, tel. 24240-22395
Annunciation, Skopelos, tel. 24240-22394