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* The island of Patmos was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Monument on Sunday the 27th of August, 2006.
 Approaching the island of the Apocalypse, one's view is magnetised by the imposing castle-monastery of Saint John the Theologian. After the sun sets, the light of the large cross on the top of the hill designates the holy site's position.
The island became involved in tourism only several years ago. The lacy beaches allured visitors and quality tourism, all dazzled with the unique charm of the island. Skala is the only harbour of Patmos and is situated almost in the middle of the island, constituting the tourist centre and the starting point for excursions. Skala developed on the site of the ancient capital at the foot of Mt. Kastelli on top of which the acropolis and the temple of Apollo lie. Along the harbour are frequented cafes, bars and restaurants. A short distance from Skala, one can swim at the beaches of Meloi, Aspri, Merika and Agriolivadi.
 Chora, perched on a hill, attracts many visitors coming to the island. About halfway up the winding hill, one meets the cave of the Apocalypse with the 17th century AD monastery built around it. It was here that Saint Joh n the Theologian lived for two years, as he had been banished to the island of Patmos, and dictated his holy visions to his disciple Prohoros. These visions are the Book of Revelations or the Apocalypse and is the last book in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. In front of the cave's entrance is the church of Aghia Anna, built by His Holiness Christodoulos. Above the monastery one can see the buildings of the Patmiada School which during the Turkish Occupation functioned as a centre for the enslaved Greeks.
 Arriving at Chora, one can climb up the stone stairs leading to the monastery. The white buildings clash beautifully with the dark brown colours of the local rocks, which have been used in the building of the monastery while the impregnable walls are visible from any point on the island.
The monastery was founded 1088 by His Holiness Christodoulos Letrinos through a donation of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komninos. The monastery, as are all of the faithful in the Dodecanese, is not subject to the Church of Greece, despite the fact that the Dodecanese has been part of Greece since 1948. Rather it is subject directly to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy of Constantinople (Istanbul). It's architecture is authentically Byzantine and the walls are enclosed by thick outer walls with bastilles and battlements. In its inner part is the central nave with 5 chapels one of which contains the preserved relics of the monastery's founder. The nave is decorated with frescos and icons. In the chapel of the Holy Christodoulos, there is the oldest shrine of the monastery dating back to 1602 AD and frescos made by the great Cretan painter, Andreas Rizos.
 Of special importance is the library which contains over 2000 texts, 900 codes and 13 000 documents with the monastery's history, including donated documents bearing the golden bull, the seal of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komninos, as well as the Gospel of Mark dating back to the 6th century AD. The religious rites, liturgies and celebrations at Easter are especially moving here in Patmos, which is regarded as one of the holiest sites in the Christian Orthodox religion world wide.
 The houses of Chora are impressive and resemble little castles with beautiful gardens and mosaics. The alleys are narrow with tavernas and bars in the square. Beneath Chora is the small resort of Grigos. Tragonisi, situated in at the entrance of the gulf and the two small peninsulas give the impression of a lagoon. At the beach of Kalikatzou the conical rock at the edge of the promontory stands out and further south is the beach of Diakofti with its clean waters. Further on the very fine sandy beach of Psili Ammos is wonderful with its tavernas and sparkling clear waters.
 Kambos Bay on the other side of the island is one of Patmos' most frequented areas, the beaches of Vagia, Livadi, Kalogiron and Aghios Nikolaos being the main attractions. A favourite beach is Lambi with its coloured sea stones although one should make sure the northern winds are not blowing when going for a visit as they can be quite strong. |
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Dry -
mostly cloudy
- thunder; Cumulonimbus clouds observed |
| Temp.:
15.0°C | 59.0 °F
Hourly
Fluctuation (0.0 °C/hr)
Humidity: 76 %
Wind: 2 bft - SSW
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02:45 AM
(GMT+2) -
03/12/09 |
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