Hozoviotissa Monastery Amorgos
Amorgos island is part of the Cyclades Islands Archipelagos and is the last of this wonderful group of islands as a geographical position. The easternmost of all is close to another fascinating Aegean archipelago, the Dodecanese.
It is not very well known by mass tourism, fortunately perhaps because it is not so comfortable to reach it, from Piraeus by ship it is a nice trip, it is about 7-8 hours with the ferry and 4 or 5 with the fast ship. It becomes a bit more popular after the director Luc Besson decides to largely shoot the now cult film "The big blue".
On this rugged and wild island, there is the Hozoviotissa Monastery, about two kilometers from the Chora to the east, nestled between the rocks of the mountain three hundred meters above the Aegean Sea with a blinding white that comes into sharp contrast with the red of the mountain almost as if it were suspended between the sea and the sky with more than 300 steps to do before arriving at the entrance. Built in 1088 at the behest of the Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comenom around it has several legends related to the reason for its construction. The first says that one day some monks landed on the coasts of Amorgos with an icon of the Virgin rescued by a noblewoman of Jericho in Palestine who was afraid of being destroyed during the war of icons. Another legend says that it came from Cyprus and that it was found broken in two at the foot of the cliff and the monks repaired it. Another legend says that from the first day that the construction work began, the structure collapsed every night and so on for many days until the master builder addressed his prayers to the Madonna asking her to indicate where they should start building. The next day a nail appeared in the rock and from there the construction began which you can admire today. The monastery is of great religious importance so much so that until 1619 the abbot of Patmos another very important island for religion was chosen by the monks of Amorgos.
The Hozoviotissa Monastery of stone, lime and juniper wood, is very fascinating to visit with its narrow stairs, a labyrinth of Venetian and Byzantine arches, cells, cellars and the heart, the church, small with a rectangular shape where in a showcase the miraculous icon of the Virgin. The only time when you will not see her in her place is at Easter when tradition has it that she is carried in a procession from village to village. In addition to the Icon of the Virgin, the church has many precious images and furnishings like a large silver lamp donated by the Turks to have saved them from a shipwreck in the area.
The terrace is certainly one of the most beautiful views of the Hozoviotissa Monastery with the Constantinople flag floating in the wind, its three bells, the white crosses drawn on the rock and then him, the infinite Aegean Sea that embraces the island. To date only three monks resist who will be happy to be your guides when you go to visit this wonder that will soon be part of the Unesco heritage.
Being a sacred place, we recommend that you have appropriate clothing. Men must wear long trousers and women must wear long skirts and cover their shoulders. If you do not have suitable clothes, you can borrow some at the entrance (be careful in the summer, being few, we advise you to bring a sarong or something to cover you so as to avoid making the three hundred steps and then having to go back). The monastery is open every day from 8 to 13 and from 17 to 19.00. Entrance is on offer.
A nice experience to do during your holidays in Greece on Amorgos where you can savor a little mysticism and see breathtaking views.