At the heart of Tzoumerka, Epirus, the traveler will come across the most enchanting sight. Kipina Monastery is literally cradled high up inside a rockface that has been carved masterfully to receive it in its snug embrace.
Although it is reminiscent of the famous Panagia Soumela Monastery in Pontos, Kipina Monastery is a lot less known, much smaller, and more humble.
The mountain landscape is ragged in places and forlorn, and the road to get there was rather treacherous, I thought. Maybe because I travelled up the winding mountain roads inside a large coach where masterful negotiations of hairpin turns were often required. We crossed narrow bridges with rusty old railings and, all the while, our wheels rolled near the edge of the precipice with the river Kalarritikos busily flowing below.
Still, when you arrive and you see this stunning view, you are instantly more than compensated…
The proper name of Kipina Monastery is “Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.”
No one knows for sure when it was build, but according to one source it was build in 1212 by a bishop named Grigorios. According to a legend, it was build in that place because some monks at Viliza Monastery saw lights there in the darkness. When they got there, they found an ancient icon of Virgin Mary.
Plenty of icons of Virgin Mary have been found in many parts of Greece in inexplicable ways over time, even through visions and dreams that led someone to the place where Her icon was hidden. In every case, a monastery was then built in the place that the icon was found miraculously in order to house it there and to protect it from harm.
What harm, you may wonder?
For one, to keep them safe through the trecherous centuries of the brutal occupations that Greece has suffered over time, such as the one of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks loved to deface and to destroy religious artefacts. As for the Nazis that came later, they may have been respectful of the artefacts themselves, but they stole away from the Greeks, without shame, many of their treasures. Not just ancient artefacts, but religious ones, too, by the thousands.
Kipina Monastery flourished in the 18th century. It stopped being in operation sometime in the 19th century, and in 1931 it was put under the care of Tsouka Monastery, which uses its small grounds for cultivation.
To get to the monastery from the road, you take a beautiful cobble path, and at the end of it, just before entering the monastery, you cross a wooden bridge. There’s a sheer drop underneath, and it is actually a drawbridge that uses heavy chains. It is centuries old. It was installed to protect the monastery from the frequent raids of bands of thieves during the years of the Ottoman Occupation (1450s-1820s).
Using a lever, the monks would raise the bridge, sealing the entry to the monastery, thus making it impossible for the thieves to enter because of the sheer drop in between.
I am feeling so gutted I have been to this beautiful monastery and only managed to see a small part of it because of the bad timing… I was there on Christmas Eve, you see. On that special day, only the spaces on the entry level were open. Access to the upper two floors to see the church, the communal areas and the cells was not allowed.
I only hope to return one day to see all the spaces I missed as they are a rare sight. Being carved inside the rockface, they have the rock as a ceiling!!!
You can go to this image gallery on Mytzoumerka.gr to see photographs of the truly amazing interior. Enjoy!
At the entrance floor, we were welcomed by a local lady and her son who stood there displaying for sale a selection of works of art depicting religious figures. All the artefacts are made by art students and donated to the monastery so that the proceeds from the sales can finance its maintenance. That lady has the key to the monastery and is the one who opens it for the tourists daily, as it hasn’t had any resident monks for many years.
We were allowed to visit just one other small indoor space on that same level to light a candle. It was a cavernous space where an ancient, weathered icon stood on the rocky wall in the semi-darkness. A little further away, red ribbons hanging from side to side served as deterrents to the visitors so they may not venture any further as a vast cave system began there, apparently stretching for many miles below…
In times of war, the locals fled in these caves to hide from hostile armies, and in general, whenever persecuted…
As I stated earlier, the monastery is no longer in operation, and a local woman holds the key to give tours to the tourists at specific times. The monastery is open every day from 8:00 am till sundown. To find out when would be a convenient time for a tour, contact the monastery directly on this number: +30 26590 61186.
Perhaps, one of the best memories I’ve made from this visit that I am bound to treasure always is that amazing rainbow…
Leaving the monastery, we got back on the coach under a drizzle and when we descended to the level of the river, we crossed the small bridge and as we turned the first turn, through the trees, a rainbow came into view through our rain-drenched windows.
As we began to climb an opposite peak, the rainbow was visible fully, in all its magnificence. With the mountain where Kipina Monastery stood as a backdrop, it felt like a glorious goodbye from it, as well as a blessing from above. As I admired the heavenly sign, I felt ever so blessed and grateful, and emitted a silent thank you… hoping, one day, to return.
Go here to see my photos from Kipina Monastery.
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