What is Meteora Greece known for?

Meteora, meaning ‘suspended in air’, is famous for its monasteries perched atop vertical peaks – but few know that before their construction in the 14th century, hermit monks first climbed these soaring stones to settle in the caves and hollows of the rocks as early as the 9th century.

How did Meteora get its name?

Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List under criteria I, II, IV, V, and VII. The name means “lofty”, “elevated”, and is etymologically related to meteor.

Who created the Meteora?

The first monastery erected on a summit dates from the 14th century, when Athanasios Koinovitis, a monk from Mount Athos, ascended the plathy lithos (“broad rock”) and built the first structures of the Great Metéoron. The Serbian king then in control of Thessaly granted the monastery religious privileges.

What is the significance of Meteora?

Hermit monks first settled in Meteora as early as the 9th century to live lives of solitude and meditation. They climbed the tall pillars to isolate themselves from civilization and, at times, to escape persecution.

What makes the Meteora unique?

Meteora is a unique area in Greece, and quite possibly the world. The wider area is full of impressive, massive rock formations. These rocks were formed millions of years ago. Over time, they were further shaped by the wind, rain and other natural phenomena.

Is Meteora the oldest place on earth?

Theopetra Cave, located in the Meteora limestone rock formations of Thessaly, Central Greece, is likely to be the place of the oldest human construction on earth, as findings indicate that the cave was inhabited as early as 130,000 years ago.

How old is the Meteora?

The history of Meteora goes many millenniums back. Theories upon the creation of this natural phenomenon are associated with the geological movements that have occurred several geological periods ago. Scientists believe that these pillars were formatted about 60 million years ago, during the Tertiary Period.

How many monks live in Meteora?

In Meteora, monasteries reach toward the heavens. (CNN) — High above the Meteora landscape in the central region of Greece, 60 monks and nuns live in fabled monasteries perched on the edge of sandstone peaks. In centuries past, their place of worship brought them solitude and protection from unwanted trespassers.

What is Meteora in Greece famous for?

The monasteries are an indication of the extent people would go in search of spirituality and peace. They can be accessed through a flight of stairs, the views from the monasteries are breath-taking. Let’s now look at the top 10 facts about Meteora in Greece. 1. It is the second most important historical site in Greece

What makes Meteora rock formations unique?

Although this rock formation is not unique to Greece, which makes Meteora stand out is that they are all of the uniform shapes. 2. The caves near Meteora were occupied for over 500 centuries There are caves close to the Meteora that was inhabited for a long time more than 5,000 years ago.

What do the monasteries at the Meteora look like?

The monasteries at the Meteora are suspended more than 1,000 feet in the sky on single columns of rocks. There are gardens for vegetables and flowers at the top of the rocks. Right below the rocks was a river where they got water for use and also to water their plants.

How old are the caves near Meteora?

The caves near Meteora were occupied for over 500 centuries There are caves close to the Meteora that was inhabited for a long time more than 5,000 years ago. One of the oldest structures found was a stone wall that blocked most of the entrance to the Theopetra cave. The wall is believed to have been built more than 2,300 centuries ago.