Tips 1 - 10 of 12 Meteora Things to Do
 Visiting Meteora? Read reviews about Meteora Hotels Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Visiting Meteora? Read reviews about Meteora Hotels Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
|
|
 |
Things To Do: Meteora, Agios Georgios Mandelas's cave
|
Tip Rating:  |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Visitors to the Meteora are always surprised by a suspended cave with rags hanging that can be seen from the road. I have tried to know more about it and found a very interesting paper issued in Humane Medicine, Health Care, 1993, 9, (4) and written by A. A. Diamandopoulos and S. G. Marketos. They describe the survival of the ancient health-seeking ritual of hanging multicoloured rags and ribbons from the branches of sacred trees, both in Greece and Cyprus. They present original photographs and review the existing literature. They discuss the origin of the custom, its meaning, its symbolism and its universal appeal. and they compare the attitudes of this custom to certain psychologic attitudes encountered in hospitalized patients today.
Agios Georgios Mandelas's cave is a chapel amid the rock complex of Meteora in central Greece. /?/. In a cave on one of the steepest slopes is the chapel of Agios Georgios Mandelas (Saint George with the Handkerchiefs). Tradition says that during the Turkish occupation of Greece, in the 17th century, a local Muslim landowner cut some trees from the saint's sacred forest. In revenge, Saint George paralysed the man's hand, but he was cured after he offered the saint his wife's veil or yashmak, the most valuable gift a Muslim can give. In memory of that donation, worshippers hang huge pieces of cloth once a year on a line supported by trees beside the cave's entrance. Young men from a neighbouring village compete in a climb up to the cave, using ropes, then carry down parts of the cloth, which they keep in their homes as talismans of good health.* More at ancient health-seeking ritual
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Things To Do: Great Meteoron
|
Tip Rating: [Not enough ratings yet] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Great Meteoron Monastery (Megalo Meteoro), also known as Monastery of the Transfiguration, is the main monastery of the Meteora complex. It was founded by the monk Athanasius Koinovitis in the mid-fourteenth century. However the current structures were built by monks from Mount Athos in the 16th century.
Leave a Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | 1 | 2 |  |
|
Join a Discussion meteora from patra
(6 replies, Friday, Jul 10, 2009, 1:53 PM UTC) Train and Bus schedule from Athens to Meteora.
(2 replies, Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008, 6:07 PM UTC) climbing in meteora
(2 replies, Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008, 6:10 PM UTC) Be the first to reply to these questions Ziagos guesthouse
(no replies yet, Friday, Mar 23, 2007, 7:25 PM UTC) Thanks!
(no replies yet, Monday, Jul 10, 2006, 5:03 PM UTC) wonderful place
(no replies yet, Wednesday, May 12, 2004, 6:03 PM UTC) » All Meteora Posts
» Ask about Meteora |
 Comments for JLBG about Meteora | | | | |
roamer61 Wed Aug 19, 2009 21:16 UTC
Great shots of the scenery and the monastaries. | cachaseiro Fri Nov 28, 2008 05:23 UTC
very nice photos from meteora. it looks like i will be going there myself next year. | Trekki Sun Nov 16, 2008 06:22 UTC
Fantastic! I never made it that north in Greece to visit the famous monasteries. And I love the rag hanging custom, mybe the precursor of Christmas tree hanging? Wishing health for the next year? | janetanne Sun Jun 22, 2008 22:17 UTC
In all my travels through Greece, I have never seen wicker bee hives! What a great tip and photo! |
|
|
email me
add as friend
