Greetings Steemians!
Today's destination of my Crete-Tour is the monastery of Odigítrias. The solitary cloister can be reached after a 10 km drive starting off from the small village of Lístaros.
Predestined by its isolated location, the monastery was originally built as a fortified complex. As mentioned in my last post, the region had suffered from pirate raids during medieval times. Such a fortress was thus vital at that time, not only for the monks, but also for the ordinary inhabitants of the region.
There is still an old escape tower where the monks were able to retreat and defend themselves in an attack.
The monastery is still inhabited by a few monks. One of them was present and kind enough to explain me the way inside the complex.
So let's have a look!
The entrance to the monastery leads through an archway, behind it the front garden of the complex.
The sunlit courtyard.
In the lower panel a miniature chapel. These so-called iconostases can be found in many places on Crete. This one hides a finely carved miniature.
On the way up inside the escape tower one can have a look at former living and working rooms. In one of the rooms stands an old weaving loom.
A marvelous panoramic view from the top of the tower.
Back in the courtyard I came across another group of residents. Aren't they lovely?
In the next episode I will show you more interior views of the monastery, including the opulently equipped central church.
Until then and thanks for watching!
Have a great day on Steemit!
Shaka
All photos were recorded by myself with an EOS 7D / Tamron 18-270 mm in May, 2018. All rights reserved.
Discovering Crete - All previous posts:
 |
 |
| Part 1, Agiofárango, the Gorge of Saints I | Part 2, Agiofárango, the Gorge of Saints II |
First of all i want to appreciate your composite work in first picture and that composition is so amazing to watch. And this monastery is really peaceful for exploration and also good to know the history of it, and yes in my opinion the monk is kind that's why he helped you to explore this place more effectively and also he narrated all aspects of this place. Literally speaking in this world we can see some places which literally reflecting as cut offed from the real materialistic world and it's really great to imagine this kind of life where we get the peaceful essence or spiritual essence all the time.
And you shared the complete view of this place and in my opinion it's reflecting as World In Mountains, literally reflecting as this place is covered by these tiny mountains and that is giving an epic essence to this place.
Thanks for sharing this post with us and wishing you an great day. Stay blessed. 🙂
Thanks a lot for your thoughtful comment!
Welcome. 🙂
I've never been there, yet. Although I have traveled a lot, there are a few places I have not visited. Crete is one of them.
The monastery has the usual atmosphere of an orthodox monastery, calm quiet and somehow still. I kind of envy them, as they have the time to really think things through, once, they were the real thinkers of the world. Solitude can clear your mind and a simple lifestyle focuses the mind for ways to improve the character.
Monks are very different to priests in my country too. Different lifestyles and different ways to connect to their inner beliefs.
The heat should be bearable but I guess it's too hot anyway. I would try to visit earlier in April or May.
Vote is for the kittens :D
Cheers!
Thank you for your comment @alexdory.
Indeed, deep thinking requires being undisturbed and not just for a day but for a long time. An impossibility in today's hectic life. There are many things that we withhold from ourselves through our lifestyle. Sad but true.
At least visiting places like this monastery can give us a sense for what we are missing.
And yes, I knew the kittens would be irresistible :D
Cheers!
Du hast wieder saubere Arbeit mit Deiner EOS 7D abgeliefert.
Der Artikel ist zudem wie gewohnt sehr schön aufgemacht.
Nach einem ausgiebige Bad in der wunderschönen Bucht kann man den Besuch in dem befestigten Kloster sicher richtig genießen. Wahrscheinlich ist das dortige Klima aber wohl trocken-heiß, was es meiner Meinung nach angenehmer macht als schwül-warme Luft.
Die niedlichen Katzen gefallen mir auch sehr. Wir haben auch einen Stubentiger zu Hause, und ich fühle mich schon seit meiner Kindheit zu Katzen hingezogen...
(ich hatte diese Antwort doch tatsächlich aus Versehen erst unter den Vorgängerbeitrag gepostet; ich wollte nämlich nochmal gucken, wie der Name der schönen Bucht war...)
Leider habe ich seit meiner Jugend eine ausgeprägte Katzenallergie. Daher muss ich zu diesen faszinierenden Tieren immer einen gewissen Abstand wahren. Wir hatten früher eine eigene Katze, als diese dann geworfen hatte ging es plötzlich mit der Allergie los. Ich bedaure das sehr, sonst hätte ich mir längst wieder eine ins Haus geholt.
Grüsse!
Ohje, das ist aber schade zu hören ... :-(
Aber ein Bild von unserem Wilson kann ich Dir trotzdem zeigen, da ja so die Allergene zum Glück nicht wirken können...
Ein wirklich schönes Exemplar. Ich habe ja den Verdacht, dass ich nur auf Europäisch-Kurzhaar allergisch reagiere. Zumindest ist das nicht der Fall bei Siam-Katzen.
Hey @Shaka. Your third article on Crete again did not disappoint. Thank you for a well-put-together article. Your pictures are stunning and it’s such a treat to share in a snippet of your journey. The interior of that room is beautiful. The wooden beams, wooden floor and furniture, thick walls, oil lamp and ornate chandelier reminds me of our old, stately farm houses here in South Africa. Nothing says ‘home’ and ‘decades of lives lived, and stories told’ like one of these old buildings with their original wooden floors and ceilings. Can you imagine the stories those walls would tell if they could talk? Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures with us, we love each and every one (especially the kitten!) :)
By the way, I see you are interested in crypto TA. With the recent dramatic moves in bitcoin, you might be interested in our Daily Summary of BTC Technical Analysts. Feel free to come have a look.
Ein sehr friedlicher Ort ... an dem ich auch gerne kontemplieren würde. Hast du mit den wenigen verbliebenen Mönchen noch ein paar Worte mehr wechseln können? Gibt es dort noch Andachten oder Zeremonien, die sie abhalten und bewirtschaften sie das alles selbst? Werden sie von den Bewohnern besucht? Würde mich interessieren.
Solche Orte der Stille sind wirklich etwas Besonderes.
Ich geniesse das auch sehr, an solchen stillen Orten zu verweilen. Vielleicht gelingt es mir mal, mich 2 Wochen in ein Kloster einzuquartieren. Es gibt ja verschiedene, die so etwas anbieten.
Ich hatte vor Ort nur einen Mönch angetroffen. Dessen Englisch war allerdings so, dass ich kein rechtes Gespräch führen konnte.
Der Innenraum der Zentralkirche hat mir aber durchaus den Eindruck gemacht, dass dort regelmässig Messen abgehalten werden.
Das hatte ich auch schon mal überlegt. Einige Recherchen später war ich erstaunt, dass das schon ein recht ausgereiftes Business-Modell ist, zumindest in Deutschland...
Schön, dass dort, wo du warst, noch Messen abgehalten werden und der Ort nicht allein ein Museum ist.
Beim Anschauen deiner Bilder kam mir der Gedanke, ob du neben den Aufnahmen, die etwas Schönes und Erhabenes zeigen, als Kontrast etwas fotografierst, was verlottert, unaufgeräumt oder schäbig aussieht. Es würde die Schönheit eines Ortes noch hervorheben, wenn man das weniger Schöne daneben setzt.
Beautiful photos once again @shaka !
The landscape might seem a little wild but it is the uniqueness of the place that makes it so beautiful
Another great reportage. Just a few monks, you say; are most of the buildings still in use, or is it mainly a museum now? Maybe I could rent a room 8-).
Thank you for commenting at this beautiful footage by @shaka!
(Dear Shaka, I hope you dont mind my replying)
The place is still operating and its history is rather impressive (I have replied earlier, referencing to this link for more historical information!)
I am not sure if guests can stay inhouse, but in case you would be interested let me know; I could find out for you.
There is another monastery located at a unique place (southern Crete) where you could search for accommodation, they offer a few rooms for their visitors at Koudoumas Monastery
as always a wonderful article. I particularly like these gentle hills in which these villages or this chapel is embedded
on the one hand you can feel the wild and barren landscape and on the other the special life that exists here away from the mass tourism.
Thanx
What kind of logos are there on the top of the gate?
Do they symbolise anything?
Hopr your journey was awesome and hope you have enjoyed a lot.
Those are typical orthodox symbols. If you open the picture in a new tab to see it bigger you will see a depiction of Mary and the baby Jesus and the Christian cross.Now I don't know Cyrillic, but I know how to read some or most of the letters, it is the name of the monastery "Iera Moni Panagias" signifying that it is a monastery and the last name is Odigitrias, the actual name.
Probably @katerinaramm or @ruth-girl, our local Greek girls can explain better :D
Thank you for the mention @alexdory!
These are Greek letters and they mean 'Holy Temple of Virgin Mother the Odigitria' which means Virgin Mary the Leader (probably deriving from a very old Icon)
This monastery was first built during the 14th century.
You can read more about its history here and @shaka thank you again for sharing your beautiful memories and photos of my island!
Hey @alexdory and @katerinaramm, thank you both for joining in with these great additions! That's what I love about Steemit :)
Cheers!
Thanks for explaining this orthodox church symbols, @alexdory!
Richtig nice, muss es auch mal unbedingt nach Griechenland schaffen. War letztes Jahr auf Sardiniern, kann ich auch nur empfehlen...
Ja, Sardinien ist auch sehr schön.
Hello how are you? this third sample of this wonderful site is great, the photos I love feel like I am with those beautiful images, you must breathe peace in that place I like the old and this place keeps a lot of history.
What I like most are those adorable kittens are beautiful
It shows a lot of sun but you could stand it?
Thanks! It wasn't too hot, actually. Temperatures in May are still bearable, but I wouldn't want to go there in midsummer :)
It is so nice for me to enjoy your narrative and photographs, I feel that I travel, This monastery in Crete is great, You are a lucky person and blessed to be able to travel and visit so many beautiful places ... Thank you for sharing those experiences with us.
Kreta ist super, hast du den Feta Käse probiert und die Oliven welche es Unmengen dort gibt? Davon kann man ( zumindest ich ) nicht genug essen. Das ist viel leckerer als bei uns das verpackte Zeug in den Regalen
Ich bin absoluter Feta-Junkie. Ist für mich schon seit Jahren Grundnahrungsmittel und ich habe mich dementsprechend auch durch die verschiedenen kretischen Varianten durchgefuttert :)
DAs ist super :-) Als ich in Griechenland war, hatte ich mich auch durch die Feta Käsen probiert. absolut super dieser mit gutem Olivenöl und einem leckeren Brot :-)
Jetzt bin ich noch motivierter für den Urlaub in Griechenland nächste Woche, danke ;)
Ah, ein Griechenlandurlaub steht an, sehr schön! Auch auf eine Insel oder Festland? Wird heiss werden, aber das wird dir ja bewusst sein :)
Freue mich schon auf die Berichte!
Grüsse!
I adore traveling and I have so many places I have on the list of things I must do/ see before I die. Crete was/ is on it, but thanks to the magic of Steemit and your incredible post I am able to see the places I long to explore through post by people that really write from the heart <3 Thank you for this!
Everything is beautiful there, including small residents, whose photos were in the last part (cats)! Interiors of the monastery seems quite old and simple, though looks very beautiful and elegant. I'll eagerly wait for the next episode of your journey.
discovering crete part 3 is give us another experience of your such a beautiful photographs. seriously i love your photograph. previous episode and the present episode together makes a great historical images. i followed your all episodes of discovering crete.
The monastery of Odigítrias is beautiful. i notice the flag. the cat and her baby cat. it was an amazing click.
now i am waiting for your next episode...
thanks
Thank you!
Was für ein schönes griechisch orthodoxes Kloster! :)
Wie immer tolle Bilder - freue mich schon auf Teil 4!
PS: Die Katzen sind richtig süß, vor allem das rechte Bild ist dir sehr gut gelungen!
Danke dir!
Wonderful shots from Crete! The old living and working rooms are just incredible!
Amezing shots Rerally love u
Sieht ja wunderschön aus, und die Katzen so niedlich, da glaub ich hättest du die eine oder andere Katze am liebsten mitgenommen😉🤗
Ich habe eine recht ausgeprägte Katzenallergie und halte daher immer einen gewissen Abstand ;)
Sorry, hab ich nicht gewusst. Aber süß sehen sie ja wirklich aus;-)
Crete looks amazing and beautiful.
But I see , I think most of the places out there are artificially made and not natural.
It's unlikely to see all this greenery in this type of sand and ground.
Please give your review ?
Thanks mate
Nature is amazing and has evolved to thrive in every place of the world. The vegetation inside the monastery is clearly well maintained by the monks, as they have free time and it brings them serenity and peace of mind. The monasteries are always in very good shape because of the monks.
What a beautiful place @shaka and I love the rich history of these quaint places. Just saw your part 1. I must read everything that contains a goat!
That miniature chapel looks so detailed, the pictures of the interior of the monastery show how nice the place was, very welcoming. The history behind that fortress I liked.
Nature is very unique concept
Thanks to Steemit I have known part of the wonders of Crete, its beaches, its villages now thanks to you this monastery, it is really beautiful, very clean, balanced, it shows peace ... The climate seems hot like in my country so I would be very comfortable there. Regards!!
Sehr schöne Serie hast du da gemacht, da bekommt man richtig Fernweh :-)
So beautiful shots
Hi @shaka how are you? we continue with this incredible adventure
I liked that patio illuminated by the sun it looks very cute reminds me of photos I've seen of Dubai there are some similar squares
The impressive loom I like the old looms for me are a marvel
A nice place is seen that is very well taken care of that is good there is a lot to see a lot of history this I like
Also the place looks a little cooler than the other parts in the previous episodes
Cats are cute :) I like them when they are small
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=shaka
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=discovering-crete-part-3-the-monastery-of-odigitrias-i
Want to have your post on the map too?
So,@shaka, I remember the agreement that you wanted to pick me up before you went to the airport =) Very nice photos. Thanks for the trip, I knew you did not let me hang =)
:D
@steemornot Outstaing pics
Hiya, just swinging by to let you know that this post made the Honorable mentions list in the Travel Digest #232. Please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider upvoting the Travel Digest if you like what we're doing.
Such a beautiful monastery! Great photo story! Wish you could add the monk's photo as well, but I guess that was not possible or you did not want to take that photo!
@amazingwoman Shots are Amazing
Glad you finally started posting bruv, my time for some payback, thanks for all the help over the months much appreciated.
Cheer$;)
@craigcryptoking Shots are very Beautiful
Spectacular shots, 7D is crsytal clear
Ya
Ya
Beautiful, it signifies the depth information about an ancient location, the story of a thing is always embedded in their photographs.....this is indeed a great work @shaka
Right
Nice photography!!
its cool!!
Yes
What a beautiful place, a monastery with a lot of history ... Thank you for sharing.
@teresah Rerally osm
Love the shots!
@joythewanderer Rerally Beautiful shots!!
Outstanding to see that post beautiful shots you have showed us that's something very amazing i have seen today :)
@blazing Shots Are amazing