SIGHTS-CHURCHES

Please choose a church from the map in order to learn more about.

THERMI

Monastery of Ayios Raphael ( Saint Raphael ) in Thermi : It is situated at the Northeastern and at a distance of 12Km away from Mytilene and 3Km of Thermi on a olive grove covered hill called "Karyes". The today's Monastery has been built on the ruins of a post-Christian basilica, which we can see in the surrounding place : wall paintings, a red paved floor, the arch of ayiasma ( holy water ) and the holy icon of Jesus Christ ( painted in the 14th century ), leaves of a membrane belonging to a hand-written Gospel and other interesting ecclesiastical objects. There are three periods in the Monastery's history : (a) from the 10th century till the year 1235 - year of its destruction because of a pirates' raid - last abbess Ayia Olympia, (b) from the year 1433 till 1463 - year of its second destruction by the Ottomans - last abbot Ayios Raphael and (c) from the year 1962 till today. It is a woman's Monastery which has been dedicated to Saint Raphael - his holy skeleton has been found with Ayios Nikolaos and Ayias Irene too, year of their martyrdom 1463. In 1962 the Monastery was founded on the basis of a Greek State's Regulation. Firstly the Cathedral was built and afterwards the cells and a church dedicated to Ayia Magdalini. All the works and the relative decoration have been paid by offers and donations of pilgrims and under the control of a Committee that had been established by Mytilene' Metropolis.

    In 1969 we have the inauguration  of the Monastery. The Monastery is directed by the charismatic abbess Evyenia Klidara, a unique personality with significant contribution in the theological studies. The belief in the three Saints has contributed in the establishment of the Monastery as a pan-Christian pilgrimage. Also worth noticing is the natural environment: rich vegetation consisted of olive trees and fantastic view to the Aegean Sea and the Asia Minor coasts. Today the Monastery with the secondary buildings and gardens consists a tiny settlement of the area, contributing into the welfare of the area's villages with the endless numbers of its pilgrims especially during spring and summer.

Panayia Troulloti ( Virgin Mary with the dome ) : The church is built at the area of Thermi on a picturesque hill. It is a Byzantine basilica and is one of the oldest Orthodox Christianic monument after the Monastery of Perivolis, that remains nearly untouched from the Byzantine period in Lesvos. According to the tradition, it was built in the 8th century. The church - obviously havimg lost the initial architectural structure because of relative interventions- is dedicated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary. It is called "Troulloti" because the dome's vault is decorated with the icon of Virgin Mary and not with the usual icon of Jesus Christ.