Greece - Ελλάδα - Griekenland

The Tholos of Delphi is one of the ancient structures of the complex of the Temple of Athena Pronaia (locally known as the Marmariá, the marble quarry). The circular temple - tholos means dome - shares an immediate site with other ancient foundations of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, all located a couple of hundred meters east of the main ruins at Delphi. The tholos is considered being one of the most characteristic monuments at Delphi and the most important building of this small sanctuary. Twenty Doric columns - three have been reconstructed - supported a frieze with triglyphs and metopes. The building is dating back to 380 BC. The tholos was partially restored in 1938. Several architectural members and the surviving sculptures were restored and are now on display in the Delphi Archaeological Museum. The tholos is part of the Delphi UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Didyma is a small rural and very quiet village in the middle of nowhere on the Peloponnese between Epidaurus and Porto Cheli. It is (well) known for its craters or caves, which are located one kilometer west of the village in the slope of Mount Didimo. The Big Cave (Μεγαλη Σπηλια - Megali Spilia), can be seen from the main road. From a distance (main picture) it looks impressive, but once at the edge of the cave - after a short walk - I was rather disappointed, as there is no depth to the cave at all and the ground of the doline is full of debris and some shrubs growing between the rocks. Much more interesting is the Small Cave (Μικρη Σπηλια - Mikri Spilia), which is situated below ground level and is not visible from the road, as it is also surrounded by trees. The cave is only accessible through a steep stair (PiP1) is leading down into the rock towards the inside of the round doline (PiP2). There is a path going round along two little Byzantine churches: One is Aghios Georgios with its wall murals dating back to the 13th century and the other chapel built into the surrounding rock, the Metamorfosis of Sortiros (PiP3). There is still some debate today how these cave holes came into being. It is for sure that they were not caused by space meteorites, as no evidence of un-earthly rock has been discovered around the area. Most probably the holes were created by underground natural gas explosions many centuries ago, as there are more similar holes on the opposite side of Mount Didimo.

The Ecomuseum in Dispilio feautures a ‘replica’ of a prehistoric lakeside settlement, located right besides the archaeological site where true signs of the neolithic era were discovered. The lake settlement - dating back to 5500 BC - was discovered during the dry winter of 1932, which lowered the level of the water in Lake Orestiada and revealed traces of the settlement. The prehistoric settlement of Dispilio is one of the oldest lake settlements ever discovered in Europe. The settlement’s inhabitants used to live in huts they built on the lake on pile platforms. The 3.000 people, living there, were fishing, hunting, cultivating the earth, stockbreeding, constructing tools and utensils. Excavations began in 1992 and the museum, consisting of a number of reconstructed stilt houses and a small exhibition room, is open to the public since the year of 2000. In the interior of the ‘houses’ one can see everyday-life objects of the Neolithic people.

The oracle of Dodoni - a way of communication between the Greek people and Zeus - dates from before 1000 BC and is the oldest in Greece. It consisted of a sacred oak tree surrounded by bronze cauldrons, which were placed in such a way that they touched each other. Predictions were made using sounds by the cauldrons in connection with the rustling of the oak leaves. At the beginning of the 3rd century BC the Zeus sanctuary was extended with several buildings, which is related to the increased importance of the sanctuary. The ruins and remains, including an acropolis, a bouleuterion, a amphitheatre and a Byzantine basilica, bear witness to the fact that a flourishing marketplace was located here. The amphitheatre of Dodoni had (and still has) a capacity of about 17.500 seats and is one of the largest and best preserved in Greece. The walls rise to a height of twenty-one meters and are supported by solid towers. The ancient Greeks used it for theatre, but it was later transformed by the Romans into an arena for animal fights. Bulls and big cats were locked in two triangular cages on either side of the stage. In the 6th century AD, when the Roman Emperor Justinian decided to found the city of Ioannina, Dodoni fell into disrepair. (Ancient) Dodoni was rediscovered and excavations and restorations of the ancient site of Dodoni began in 1875 and continue until today. The amphitheatre was restored in the early 1960s. Every year in August, a summer festival is held in which classical tragedies, folk music and dance from Epirus are performed.

The Tsoukas Monastery is built near the village of Elliniko on the in the area of Katsanochoria. It dominates at the top of a rocky hill, above the impressive gorge of the Arachthos river, at an altitude of about 900 meter (PiP5.) The monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, was founded - according to local tradition - by the Emperor Isaac II Angelos in 1190, flourished during the Despotate of Epirus. However, its presence is confirmed during the period of the Ottoman domination, mostly by the date 1668 that is mentioned in a handwritten comment on the statute of the monastery. It constitutes a monastic complex of fortress construction, that includes the two-storey buildings of the cells, a catholicon, a cistern, a belfry and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. In the center of the enclosure stands the catholicon. It is a little single-naved church probably of the 17th century. The interior of the catholicon is covered with 18th century frescoes. During our visit on a Sunday morning, a church service was going on. As the small church can hardly accommodate any visitors, the service was also available for visitors to follow via loudspeakers. Afterwards, there was coffee and “loukoumia” for everyone; a special experience.

The (ancient) theatre of Epidaurus is considered to be the most perfect ancient Greek theatre with regard to acoustics and aesthetics. It was part of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. At a maximum capacity of about 13.000 spectators, the theatre hosted music, singing and dramatic games that were included in the worship of Asclepius. It was also used as a means to heal patients, since there was a belief that the observation of dramatic shows had positive effects on mental and physical health. The monument shows the characteristic structure of a classical Hellenistic theatre with an auditorium, orchestra and staging building. It was built in the late 4th century BC and enlarged in the mid-2nd century AD. During Roman times, the theatre (unlike many Greek theatres) did not suffer any modifications. The auditorium has 55 rows of seats resting on a natural slope and facing the stage area set against a backdrop of lush landscape. It was divided into two parts: a 21-rows of seats part, aimed for the citizens and a 34-rows of seats part aimed for the priests and rulers. The theatre is famous for its exceptional acoustics. Any sound on the open-air stage, whether a stentorian voice or a whisper, a deep breath or the sound of a match struck is perfectly audible to all spectators, even in the topmost row of seats, that is nearly 60 metres away. For centuries the theatre remained covered by a slope of trees until the year 1881, when several excavations took place. Since 1938, when modern dramas started to be presented again in the theatre, it has hosted hundreds of plays. The famous Athens Epidaurus Festival begun in1954 and is held every summer with famous ancient dramas or modern plays.

Just a flowering tree (Persian silk tree or pink silk tree) on a beach along the coast of the Gulf of Corinth north of Galaxidi; a small harbour and fishing village.

The valley of the Karpenisiotis river - about 30 km long - lies between Karpenisi and Prousos. Initially a wide green valley, slowly but surely the Helidona en Kaliakouda mountains on both sides of the valley with plane tree forests become higher and more impressive. The area is not called Greek Switzerland for nothing. A few kilometres after the village of Gavros, the scenery becomes spectacular and the natural beauty reaches it peak. The road along the river becomes narrower and the cliffs in the Kleidi Gorge (PiP1) almost touch. The road passes here with a rocky overhang. After this natural wonder, the valley widens and soon the Prousos Monastery comes into view.

Gerolimenas is a small sleepy village with some fishing boats along its shore on the Mani peninsula. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was an important harbour, from where goods were shipped to Piraeus and other Greek islands. Once Gerolimenas was one of the most remote villages in the Peloponnese and till the 1970’s it only could be reached by boat or donkey. Gerolimenas means “Old Harbour” and derives from the ancient " Ιερός Λιμήν " (Ieros Limen). In the past a fishing village, nowadays the village - with some hotels and restaurants - is a popular destination for tourists. Although during our visit it was very quiet and peaceful. The traditional stone buildings are scattered around the natural harbour and a small pebble beach.

The Monastery of Giromeriou (or officially: The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Giromeri) was founded in the beginning of the 14th century (between 1310 and 1320), at the time of the prosperity of the Despotate of Epirus. It constituted an important monastic center and reached its greatest peak in the middle of the 16th century, when it numbered approximately 300 monks. The founder and first possessor of the monastery was Saint Nilos Erihiotis (1228-1334), who came from Constantinople. The katholikon (main church) of the monastery was gradually built. It is a church of small dimensions and is constructed of four cross-shaped columns with a domed roof. Possibly, it was at first a single-nave church, while its present form, namely the four parts of it, is a result of renovations at different times During our visit (May 2019) the brotherhood consists of four monks, who settled in the monastery in1989.

Grivas castle is located just before reaching Lefkada island. Before the construction of the castle there was a muslim monastery on the same spot. That’s why it was called teke (gathering place for dervishes). The castle itself was built in 1806 by Ali Pasha of Ioannina; an Ottoman Albanian ruler who served as pasha of Epirus and the western parts of Thessaly and Greek Macedonia. The objective was to facilitate Ali’s attack against Lefkada. The plans of Ali were canceled in July 1807, when the French occupied the Ionian islands, after a treaty with the Russians. Soon after that, Ali Pasha gave the castle to the Grivas family, prominent in the area in the 18/19th centuries. In May 1821, during the Greek Revolution the castle was captured by the Greeks.

The region of Ioannina has been popoulated by Greeks since the Mycenaean era. However the city of Ioannina - often called Yannena - was formally founded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD. Ioannina flourished following the Fourth Crusade, when many wealthy Byzantine families fled to the city in the early 13th century following the sack of Constantinople. It was part of the Despotate of Epirus from 1358 to 1416, before surrendering to the Ottomans in 1430. Between 1430 and 1868 the city was the administrative center of the Pashalik of Yanina. In the period between the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was a major center of the modern Greek Enlightenment. Ioannina became again part of Greece in 1913 following the Balkan Wars. The City has a longstanding tradition in commerce and handicraft activities dating back in the 17th century, where merchants from Ioannina traded with important European commercial centers, such as Venice and Livorno, and established commercial and banking houses. During the 18th century, every author of the Greek world, was either from Ioannina or was a graduate of one of the city's schools, and the city created the reputation of being number one City in education. Ioannina is situated on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis. Nowadays it is the capital and largest city of the region of Epirus with a population of more than 100.000 people. The city has a wealth of attractions and museums with most attractions. The main sight is the “castle” located in the center of the town, this was the heart of the Despotate of Epirus, and the Ottoman vilayet. The (historic) centre of Ioannina offers small traditional shops and houses, and many souvenir shops.

The islet on Lake Pamvotis nearby Ioannina is referred to as "Nisaki" (Νησάκι = Greek for "little island"). Inhabitants call it "Nisi" (Νησί = Greek for "lsland"). Nisi (or Nissi) is a small island - 800 by 500 meters - in Lake Pamvotis. It is one of the two lake islands in Greece, which are inhabited. There is only one village - with a couple of hundreds of inhabitants - on the island which with picturesque paved alleys and a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. Nisi is well known for the Ali Pasha Museum and its monasteries. The first one was built at the end of the 13th century and the island was important monastic center. The island is accessible by boat from Ioannina (about 10 minute-ride each way) or by a ferry from a nearby shore.

At the location where the Cathedral of Saint Athansios nowadays is located, was a Monastery dedicated to Saint Athanasios the Great. After the failed movement of Dionysios the Philosopher in 1611 and the expulsion of christians from the castle of Ioannina, the church of Saint Athanasios replaced a cathedral inside the castle and became the third cathedral of Ioannina. However, in August 1820 the temple was destroyed by a large fire during the siege of Ali Pasha. During the presidency of the Metropolitan of Ioannina Ioakeim, in 1832, and at the expense of benefactors, a bigger church was rebuilt from the ground up. The frescoes in the church date back, according to an inscription, to 1835. The ornate wood-carved iconostasis is "baroque", made of walnut wood, and is the work of four wood carvers from Gorgopotamos (Konitsa). The imposing tower-shaped bell tower was built in 1909.

The Fethiye Mosque is located in Its Kale , the inner castle in the walled city of ancient Ioannina. It was built immediately after the conquest by the Ottomans in 1430, near the ruins of an early 13th-century Byzantine church. Originally it was a wooden structure, which was replaced in 1611 by a stone building. The mosque was extensively remodeled in 1795 by Ali Pasha, an Albanian born cruel despot, who made it the main mosque of his palace. The tomb of Ali Pasha and his family is located before the mosque, protected by a solid metal fence. The mosque has a square plan, with a minaret at the western corner. The prayer hall, covered with a hemispherical dome, has a wooden balcony supported on stone columns. Interior decoration is preserved and the mihrab is particularly striking. The mosque can be visited, not free of charge as it is part of the Byzantine Museum.

The Fethiye Mosque is located in Its Kale , the inner castle in the walled city of ancient Ioannina. It was built immediately after the conquest by the Ottomans in 1430, near the ruins of an early 13th-century Byzantine church. Originally it was a wooden structure, which was replaced in 1611 by a stone building. The mosque was extensively remodeled in 1795 by Ali Pasha, an Albanian born cruel despot, who made it the main mosque of his palace. The tomb of Ali Pasha and his family is located before the mosque, protected by a solid metal fence. The mosque has a square plan, with a minaret at the western corner. The prayer hall, covered with a hemispherical dome, has a wooden balcony supported on stone columns. Interior decoration is preserved and the mihrab is particularly striking. Nowadays the mosque is part of the Byzantine Museum and can be visited.

Nisi (or Nissi) is a small island - 800 by 500 meters - in Lake Pamvotis nearby Ioannina. It is one of the two lake islands in Greece, which are inhabited. There is only one village - with a couple of hundreds of inhabitants - on the island which with picturesque paved alleys and a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. The island is accessible by boat from Ioannina or by a ferry from a nearby shore. Nisi is well known for the Ali Pasha Museum and its monasteries. The first one was built at the end of the 13th century and the island was important monastic center. We visited one of them in 2018 (PiP1). A year later we went back to the island, for a lunch on the central square (PiP2). After that we made a walk along the banks of the lake, enjoying the flowers (PiP3), reed collars and lush vegetation, but a group of pretty aggressive geese (main image) almost blocked the road.

The Kipina Monastery - a couple of kilometers outside the village of Kalarrites - is considered being one of the most impressive monasteries in Greece. It is wedged into a vertical cliff and seems to be a part of the rock. It was constructed in 1212 and dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary. A short path from the road leads to the monastery; after crossing a wooden drawbridge that guarded the entrance from invaders, one can take a look inside. The katholikon inside a small natural cave is decorated with impressive frescoes, dating from the late 17th century/beginning 18th century. The iconostase is carved and gilded. During our visit it was absolutely dark inside the church and had to use my mobile-phone light for making some pictures. A secret door leads to a 250 meters deep cave, which was used to protect nearby residents. During its existence the monastery played an important historic role, acting as both a secret school during the years of the Turkish occupation, as well as a hidden arsenal throughout the Greek War of Independence and the following liberation of Epirus. The monastery got its name probably from the gardens ( kipoi in Greek) that were cultivated by the monks in the valley. Nowadays, there are no monks living in the monastery and it is free to visit. Just check if it is open, otherwise one has to collect a key from a nearby café.