Christian Greece

Just a few photos of some of the churches and monasteries that dot the Greek landscape, often in dramatic settings. Most of these come from an area known as Meteora, where the monasteries were nearly inaccessible until roads were built just a few decades ago. Supplies are still brought up in baskets attached to winch-turned ropes. You may remember the setting in the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

The Great Meteora monastery.














Holy Trinity Monastery.














Another angle of the Great Meteora monastery.

There are more than a dozen of these perched on these cliffs.










The city of Kalambaka, at the foot of the mountains.













Kalambaka, again.












Hagios Loukos - Holy Luke - monastery. Not quite as dramatic of a setting, but really pretty in its own right.











A pretty painting from Holy Luke monastery.













Underneath the church of Hagios Demetrios in Thessalonike is this fountain structure and basin which date from the fourth century or so. St. Demetrios was martyred around 300, and his tomb gave off holy water or myrrh. Pilgrims used to collect it in small flasks or vials. The basin was built to hold the liquid coming from the tomb.