MONASTERIES & CHURCHES

The Taxiarchis Monastery is located in Mantamados, in the north-east part of Lesvos, 36km from Mytilini and it is considered to be the protector of the island. During the 9^th and 10^th centuries, the Saracen pirates had become the terror of the entire island. One of their targets had been an old monastery in the Mantamados area. During one of their raids, the Saracens slaughtered all of the monastery's monks. In his attempt to escape the inevitable, one of the monks climbed up on the monastery's roof, but the pirates were in hot pursuit. As they approached him with swords drawn, Taxiarchis suddenly appeared in front of the Saracens with his own sword drawn, forcing them to retreat in panic and saving the life of the monk. In a show of respect the monk decided to create an icon out of clay and his fallen comrades' blood in honor of the saint. Pilgrims come to pray at the monastery's church from throughout Greece and abroad and leave various offerings in his honor, that include everything from swords to shoes.

The Monastery of Ypsilou is an active men's monastery. It is dedicated to St. John Theologos and it is built in 1101 on the crater of a dormant volcano on a road to Sigri right past the turnoff to Eressos. In the monastery there is a particularly interesting vestry as well as a library with important manuscripts.

The Limonos Monastery is the largest monastery on Lesvos, as it contains 35 churches within its walls. It is located just outside of the town Kalloni and it was built in 1523. The monastery, still inhabited by monks, has been the intellectual center of the island during the years of the Turkish occupation. Only men may enter the central church, while women are admitted only to the outer monastic buildings.

The Pithari Monastery, which lies in a valley between Eressos and Antissa, was founded in the 17^th century. It is a Byzantine Monastery with a big variety of icons, ecclesiastical objects and hagiographies.

The Monastery of Perivolis is situated in a country road between Antissa and Vatousa. Although the church was built in the 1300's, the wall paintings were not made until the 1600's.

The Church "Virgin Mary Glikofilousa" or "Sweet Kissing Lady”, is built in 1747 in Petra, on the top of a rock, 30 meters high. This strategic place of construction has to do with the period of pirates' attack. You can reach the top of the rock by climbing the 114 steps carved into the stone. It is said that a fisherman, who had the icon of the Blessed Virgin, one morning noticed that it was missing. He look for it everywhere but he didn't manage to find it. That evening he saw a strange light in the sky. He climbed up the rock and found his icon. He took it back to his boat but again it disappeared and again he found it on the top of the rock. He interpreted this as a sign from above and he built there the church in 1747. Evey year there is a big celebration there on the 15^th of August.

The Church of Virgin Mary (Panagia)in Agiasos hosts the miracle working icon of the Virgin Mary Vrefokratousa. There is anannual celebration thattakes place on the 15^thAugust in honor of the Virgin Mary. Thousands of pilgrims, locals and visitors, come to the village to see the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, while the recent years hundreds of them, mostly the young walk all the way from Mytilini as well as from other villages and arrive to the village on foot.

The Church of Agion Therapon in Mytilini (1850) with its characteristic massive dome attracts visitors in terms of both religion and architecture. It is the work of Argyris Adalis, a native son of Lesvos, who had been a student of the eminent architects of the time, Ziller and Hansen. The church's architecture shows significant neo-gothic influences although it does belong to the traditional Byzantine style of domed, cross-in-square churches. The roof is a breathtaking masterpiece: four small domes form a wreath around the edifice, with a fifth, massive dome in their midst.

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