This castle-monastery is located north of Danakos and it is the oldest and perhaps the most important castle of Naxos.
It is built on the ruins of an early-Christian basilica of the 6th century, at an altitude of about 500 meters and it is surrounded by oak trees, fig trees and vines. The monastery offers a spectacular view of the blue Aegean Sea and it is a monument of historical and religious importance.
The monastery consists of two floors. The ground floor is a three-aisled church with a dome supported by four marble columns and a marble temple with Byzantine sculptures and reliefs. The decorations and murals of the church date back to the Iconoclastic period so it was probably built in the 9th century AD. One of the two rooms on the right of the main church probably functioned as a crypt. Access to the first floor was possible via an external stone staircase. In the center of the floor there was also a terrace and in the perimeter there were the monks' cells. The floor was protected by turrets and battlements.
A myth says that the monastery was built by a princess who almost died in the sea during a storm and made solemn promise to build a church at the place she would be found if she survived.
The restoration of the monastery began in 1991and was completed in 2007. The temple is dedicated to the Transfiguration and it is celebrated on August 6th.
Open hours
- June & September: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- July & August: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Free admission
Source: www.naxos.gr
