Hosios Loukas Monastery

Esteemed Saint Loukas Monastery named for a local saint (not the evangelist) who first settled in this spot in the 10th century. He was known for prophecy and healing miracles. He began to have followers who grew in number to the point he retreated to the current site.
After his death, his followers placed him in a tomb and over time, the monastery began and grew. The original building in the 10th century is the church dedicated to the Theotokis (Panagira). It was built over the tomb.
This is one of 3 Byzantine monasteries in Greece recognized by UNESCO for their importance in Byzantine architecture and decoration.
The 1st picture is of the central courtyard. The 2nd build is the remains of their old olive press. Olives we're crushed in the vat at the far end then pressed above the circular trench which collected the oil into the recepticle.
The 3rd picture has some ancient frescoes.
The 4th picture looks at the Byzantine architecture that became a model for later churches. The 11th century church is in the center, and the 10th century church is to the right. The 5th picture is taken in the 10th century parallelogram-shaped church. The last picture is in the larger 11th century church which contains frescoes and mosaics reminiscent of Hagia Sophia.Read more