Koimiseos Monastery, Kalami (Monastery of the Dormition)

This monastery is at the end of the Lousios gorge, on the west side of the river. Like the Monastery of the Philosopher, this religious monument is spread out over two parts, the old and the new, which are connected by a paved path.

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This monastery is at the end of the Lousios gorge, on the west side of the river. Like the Monastery of the Philosopher, the religious monument is spread out over two parts, the old and the new, which are connected by a paved path. The Old Monastery of Kalami is built on a cavernous steep cliff which falls almost vertically down to the river. We don’t know exactly when it was built, but it is quite probable that one of the many monks’ hermitages that were once found in the caves around the gorge evolved into a monastic community.

The main church of the old monastery is in good condition, and is built inside a cave. It has some interesting frescoes from 1705 – the work of the Cretan iconographer Petros Pediotis - some of which are painted directly onto the rock. The other buildings are now in ruins, but there were once three-stories of monks’ cells and auxiliary buildings which were protected by strong walls with battlements. The new monastery is a little higher up the gorge, so you can enjoy a pleasant stroll through the woods to get there. It used to be a very prosperous and wealthy monastery with about 70 monks living there in its heyday. The main church is very similar to the New Monastery of the Philosopher.

The New Monastery of Kalami was set on fire by Ibrahim Pasha in an attempt to quell rebellions in 1826. Despite the best efforts of the monks, it could not be restored and the monastery went into a decline. However, much of it was restored with private funding in the 1990s.

Tel.: 0030 27950 81520.

Location

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