Agios Dionysios Monastery
The two monasteries called Agios Dionysios ( Greek 'Αγιος Διονύσιος ) are located in Greece in the Olymp Mountains. Before the monasteries Kanalon , Agia Triada, Sparmou and Ephraim , it is the most important monastery in the Olympus region .
location
The older of the two monasteries is located on the Enipeas Gorge at an altitude of 850 m. The newer monastery is about two kilometers outside of Litochoro .
Surname
Originally the name of the old monastery was Agia Triada, Holy Trinity , (Greek Αγία Τριάδα ). In the course of time, however, the name of its founder, St. Dionysius, has established itself. The new monastery was named directly after Saint Dionysius.
History (old and new monastery)
In 1542 it was founded by Saint Dionysius and dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Surrounded by strong high walls and surmounted by a watchtower, it resembles a small fortress. During various conflicts it served as a refuge for civilians, but also for fighting troops. Today the visitor sees a ruin from the outside. In its history, the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In 1821 Veli Pasha had it burned down. The German Wehrmacht dealt him the last destructive blow in April 1943. Since Greek freedom fighters are said to have withdrawn in the monastery, it was first bombed and later blown up.
The monks then left the destroyed monastery and moved into the Metochi , the manor, of the monastery. The Metochi was founded in 1650 and, in addition to the land, consisted only of a church, the farm buildings and another building in which the monks who took care of the running of the estate lived. This manor was gradually expanded to a monastery after the Second World War. The older part of the new monastery has a heavy iron door and is thus separated from the rest of the complex. Access to this area, the abaton, is only permitted for men. The old church, the cells of the monks, the refectory and the administration building are located here. A little outside are the stables, workshops and the cheese dairy. All other buildings outside the Abaton, such as the new church or the museum, were built after 1985.
The monastery of Agios Dionysios is a stauro region , so it is directly subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul).
Church (new monastery)
It was built in the classic Orthodox style. A picture of Saint Dionysius adorns the entrance. Inside there are a few peculiarities in addition to the usual sumptuous furnishings of a Catholic . It is noticeable that many chairs, standing desks and other objects are decorated with inlays. The inlays are made of ivory or mother-of-pearl. Former bullet shells are used as flower vases. An artist carved church motifs out of the metal using relief technology. So you can see St. Dionysius preaching or depicting other important scenes. An icon depicting the resurrection of Jesus Christ stands on a small table. Next to it is a basket with notes and ballpoint pens. Believers who want to make a request to the saint can put it on paper here.
Museum (new monastery)
The museum is to the west of the facility. In troubled times, some of which the old monastery experienced, courageous monks hid the monastery treasures in secret vaults. A selection of the rescued exhibits:
- Three silver skulls with bits of bones of saints carved into them are exhibited along with other relics.
- Old documents, including the document from the year 949 of the Islamic calendar (1542 AD), in which the Turkish occupiers allow the repair (in fact, probably rather the establishment) of a monastery on Mount Olympus.
- Through a magnifying glass you can admire the finest wood carvings within a metal cross.
- An epitaph embroidered with gold thread, made by Arsenius, a monk of the meteorite monasteries, in 1578 and 1579.
- Some of the saved icons of the ancient monastery.
- Inlaid standing desks and much more.
Quite inconspicuous, but significant, there are some framed black and white photographs hanging near the entrance. They show the old monastery up in the mountains just before it was destroyed. A soldier of the Wehrmacht took these pictures secretly and sent them to the monastery a few years ago.
Chapel of Saint Dionysius
A twenty minute walk from the old monastery is the Chapel of St. Dionysius. It is located on the Enipeas River in a south-easterly direction from the monastery. Anyone who climbs up to Prionia from Litochoro will inevitably pass the chapel. It is built under an overhanging rock, directly above a spring. It consists of a small prayer room in which the saint celebrated the sacred liturgy during his time as a hermit. A small, low shed served as a place to sleep.
literature
- Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St. Dionysios of Olympus: I Iera Patriarchiki ke Stavropigiaki Moni tou Agiou Dionysiou tou en Olymbou. Ed .: Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St. Dionysios of Olympus, 2014
Web link
Coordinates: 40 ° 5 ′ 39 ″ N , 22 ° 25 ′ 43 ″ E