Church of Metamorphosis

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If you are looking to visit a stunning Greek monastery perched high atop a scenic rock mountain, then pack up your bags in Greece and head to Meteora. Meteora is part of the Thessaly region, closest to the town of Kalampaka and the village of Kastraki. Meteora is an utterly astounding conglomeration of rocks that rise out of the earth to form pinnacles in the sky. It is an area that has to be seen to do it justice, and it will undoubtedly leave a firm impression on all visitors. Atop the rocks at Meteora, visitors will find ancient Greek churches dating back hundreds of years that form a community of monasteries. Among the surviving monasteries is the Church of Metamorphisis, also known as Megalo Meteoro, or Transfiguration. It is the best known Greece monastery in this community, and sits highest of them all. The largest as well, the Church of Metamorphisis is the main museum in Meteora. Many of the land tours in Greece make a stop at Meteora, or you can find it by bus or rail from both Athens and Thessaloniki.

 The famous Meteora rocks rise at the edge of Greece's Pindus Mountains. Dating back around the 10th century, the area began to see visitors in the way of hermits seeking solitude. As the Byzantine Empire began its decline, groups of monks would seek refuge among the rocks from the imposing Turkish powers. By the 12th century, monks had established a small church at the base of the rocks and from there maintained the customs of the Greek Orthodox religion. When Turkish forces began to move towards Meteora, the monks were forced higher up and began to build their monasteries atop the high rock outcroppings. The Metamorphisis Greece monastery was among the 24 monasteries that eventually comprised the community by the 15th century.

The Church of Metamorphisis, or Megalo Meteoro, is known as being the first church of the Transfiguration. The terms, Tranfiguration and Metamorphisis, refer to the event where Jesus first learned of his identity as the son of God. According to the story, Jesus was atop a mountain, where he became radiant and spoke with Moses and Elijah. He would hear the voice of God, and for the first time be referred to by God as "Son". The Metamorphisis refers to the change that Jesus went through during the Transfiguration.