From The Oracle of Delphi to the Monasteries of Meteora

Have you ever been to Delphi or Meteora? You are in for a special tour this morning. We will take the Greek National Highway and head north from Athens. Enjoy the drive!

On our way to Delphi, we will see farmland consisting of cotton, tomato and watermelon fields. Approximately 45 minutes later, we will make a quick stop to see the water reservoir of Athens. Then, we will continue traveling through a Livadi (valley) which is surrounded on both sides by mountains. Then, we will stop at Kyra Springs to have a cold drink at a café during the summer months.

Next, we will then travel towards the eleventh century monastery called Osios Lukas. Prior to reaching this monastery, we see a monument which was dedicated to the Greek resistance movement during World War II. We continue our tour by traveling through small villages where Osios Lukas was born and raised. This eleventh century monastery is the vantage point where we can see the top of olive trees surrounded by mountains. It offers quite breathtaking views in the springtime. Did you know that Osios Lukas monastery is a mirror image of the monastery of Agia Sophia in Istanbul?

Let us continue our journey towards Delphi and travel through the town of Arachova which is a popular ski resort in the winter. Fifteen minutes later, we hear the famous Oracle of Delphi. It was the means through which worshipers could hear the words of the god Apollo, spoken through a priestess, or Pythia over the age of 50. Questioners paid a levy called a pelanos and sacrificed an animal on the altar. The questions were then put to the Pythia by a male priest and she would answer in a trance (unfortunately, the answers were often ambiguous), perhaps induced by vapors from a crack in the ground under her feet.

In addition, according to the legend, when Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the world, their paths crossed in the sky above Delphi, establishing the site as the center of the earth. Renowned as a dwelling place of Apollo, from the end of the 8th century BC, individuals from all over the ancient world visited Delphi to consult the god on what course of action to take, both in public and private life. Did you know that the oracle was abolished in 393 with the Christianization of the Byzantine Empire under Theodosius?

We now see the Tholo monument, the gymnasium and the Castalian springs. We also will see the main archaeological site including the treasury, the Sanctuary of Apollo, the ancient theatre and stadium. The museum is next and then a break for lunch at a local Greek taverna which offers a terrific view of an olive grove.

With the political rise of Delphi in the 6th century BC and the reorganization of the Pythian Games, Delphi entered a golden age which lasted until the Romans came in 191 BC. King Croesus of Lydia came to ask if he should make war against Cyrus the Great of Persia and was told that if he crossed a river, then he would destroy a great empire. In marching on Cyrus, his troops crossed the River Halys and he unfortunately, destroyed his own empire.

The Temple of Apollo path was lined with 3, 000 statues and treasures, built by city-states, to house their people’s offerings. The Sanctuary of Apollo is also known as the Sacred Precinct, this is the heart of the complex that also included a stadium and a sacred spring. It is entered through an angora from which the Sacred Way winds through the ruins of memorials and treasuries and led to the Temple of Apollo.

The Temple of Apollo has stood on this site since the 6th century BC, but the remains visible today date from the 4th century BC. Some reconstruction work has been done since French archaeologists uncovered the foundations in 1892, to give an impression of its original grandeur.

The site and Museum are open from April-October from7:30pm Mon-Fri 8:30am-3pm Saturday and Sunday. The phone number is 026582312.

Next, we drive through the mountains and the Thessaliko Valley. How amazing to see the tomato and watermelon fields. After a wonderful nights sleep, we will see six phenomenal monasteries, which were built on top of gigantic rocks in the 14th century. It was used as a religious retreat when, in 985, a hermit named Barnabas occupied a cave here. It is assumed that the first hermits reached the tops of these vertical rock faces, and likely that they hammered pegs into tiny gaps in the rock and hauled building materials to the thousand pinnacles. In the 1920’s, stairs were carved to make the remaining six monasteries more accessible, and today a religious revival has seen the return of many monks and nuns.

In 1336, Athanasos, a monk from Mount Athos founded the monastery of Megalo Meteoro is also known as the Great Meteoran is the highest monastery to be founded. Athana’sios first lived here on one of these thousand pinnacles. Twenty-three monasteries followed, though due largely to their precarious location, many had fallen into ruin by the end of the 18th century. The shrine of Agia Triada stands opposite a well. Agiou Nikolaou is one of Meteora’s soaring monasteries. Rousanou is perched precariously on the very tip of a narrow spire of rock and is he most spectacular of monasteries. Did you know that the church of the Metamorfosis is renounced for its frescoes painted in 1560? Varlam was founded in 1518 after the hermit lived here. It is known for its frescoes. Katholikon is dedicated to Agioi Pantes (all saints); the church is adorned with frescoes. The refractory contains a small icon museum and the Ascent Tower is where goods and people were wrinched up by a windlass mechanism made in 1536.

Megalo Meteora is open on Monday, Wednesday-Sunday. Rousanou is open daily. Agia Triada is open daily. Agios Stefanos is open Tuesday-Sunday. Varlaam is open Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Agiou Nikolaou is open April-October daily.
All monasteries are shut from 1-3pm. The phone number is 043222109

We will return to Athens after you have enjoyed lunch along the way. What did you think of Delphi and Meteora? Did you hear the oracle of Delphi? Did you explore Meteora? I am sure that your experience was quite special. We will end our tour in Athens after taking many pictures while experiencing the sites.

by Roberta Mark Engel