Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
per person
Patmos was a place of exile in Roman times, where also the Apostle John the Theologian was exiled. On this island he wrote down his Apocalypse/Last Judgement.
The Byzantine Emperor Alexios I gave Patmos to the monk Christodoulos who had previously been a monk in Asia Minor. In 1088, he founded the monastery on the ruins of an ancient Artemis temple and masons from Constantinople undertook the construction of the monastery. Strong walls protected the complex from the naval attacks of the Seljuks.
Through to lavish endowment and imperial privileges, the monastery became one of the wealthiest institutions in the Byzantine era. St. John monastery possesses one of the most important libraries with ca 330 Greek manuscripts, icons, liturgical works of art and other objects. On the other hand, the Cave of the Apocalypse is one of the most important sanctuaries of Orthodoxy.
FORMAL ANALYSIS
The monastic complex gives the impression of a polygonal castle which dominates above the island. The elements dated in the 11th-12th century are the katholikon (main church) of the monastery, the Virgin chapel and the refectory. The katholikon is a cross-domed based on four columns. Elements/spolia from ancient temple are used by the entrance.
The north and west sides of the monastery’s courtyard border the white walls of the monastic cells. The south side of the yard is formed by a two-storey arcade, while the east side of the yard is actually the outer narthex of the catholikon.
Halfway along the road that climbs steeply from the harbor to Chora (the capital of the island) is the Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Theologian dictated the Last Judgement to Prochoros, his student.
EKATERINI MITSIOU
From Our Gallery
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- MONASTERY OF SAINT JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN © FOT. VALERIA CASALI, Wikipedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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- MONASTERY OF SAINT JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN © PLAN: Baedeker
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- ENTRANCE WITH TOWER © FOT. Wikipedia commons, https://serturista.com/grecia/ monasterio-de-san-juan-y-la-cueva-del-apocalipsis/
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- CHURCH OF THE MONASTERY (INTERIOR) © FOT. Wikipedia commons
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- MONASTERY (INTERIOR) © FOT. https://www.panoramagriego.gr/ secciones/cultura/2053-el-monasterio-de-san-juan-de-patmos-el -teólogo-y-la-gruta-del-apocalipsis
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- INSIDE THE OLD LIBRARY © FOT.wikipedia commons
Tour Location
Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
| Other monuments and places to visit | The Cave of the Apocalypse |
| Natural Heritage | |
| Historical Recreations | |
| Festivals of Tourist Interest | Daily liturgies |
| Fairs | |
| Tourist Office | |
| Specialized Guides | |
| Guided visits | See above |
| Accommodations | Yes there are many hotels and hostels and restaurants as Patmos is a tourist place |
| Restaurants | Vaggelis Restaurant |
| Craft | |
| Bibliography | |
| Videos | |
| Website |
| Monument or place to visit | Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, Patmos |
| Style | Remains of 11th-12th century art and postbyzantine |
| Type | Monastic architecture |
| Epoch | 11th, 12th /17th centuries |
| State of conservation | Very good condition |
| Degree of legal protection | Unesco World Heritage Site (1999) and the Greek Archeology Law 3028/2002 On the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General |
| Mailing address | Patmos, 85500, Greece |
| Coordinates GPS | 37°18′33″N 26°32′53″E |
| Property, dependency | Ecumenical Patriarchate / Exarchate of Patmos |
| Possibility of visits by the general public or only specialists | General public visits |
| Conservation needs | Last conservation in 2009 |
| Visiting hours and conditions | Daily from 08:00-13:00 and additional time (16:00-18:00 on sundays, tuesdays and thursdays) Phone: (+30) 22470 20800. You reach the monastery by bus from the port (scala), see patmos-island.com |
| Ticket amount | Free |
| Research work in progress | |
| Accessibility | Good |
| Signaling if it is registered on the route | |
| Bibliography | - S. Bogiatzes Η οικοδομική ιστορία της Ιεράς Μονής Αγίου Ιωάννου Θεολόγου Πάτμου. Thessaloniki 2012 |
| Videos | Youtube Youtube |
| Information websites | patmosmonastery.gr unesco.org wikipedia.org |
| Location | Patmos island, Greece |
