Columns of the sky: the monasteries of Meteora in Thessaly

Background

Meteora, in the Prefecture of Trikala in the Region of Thessaly in Greece, is a mixed property on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The property covers 271.87 ha with a buffer zone of 1,884.14 ha, and it is inscribed under criteria (i), (ii), (iv), (v) and (vii). Its rock pillars are described as columns of the sky. Four of the monasteries still house religious communities: Aghios Stephanos, Aghia Trias, Varlaam and Meteoron. The monastery of Varlaam sits atop a 373-metre cliff. Theophanes the Cretan painted the frescoes of the Monastery of Saint Nikolas Anapafsas in 1527, and the small church of Panaghia Doupiani, also called the Skete, was built at the foot of one of the rock pillars in the late 12th century. The property forms part of the Natura 2000 network and of the Meteora Pyli UNESCO Global Geopark.