Landscape photos of the beautiful rock pillar top medieval Meteora Monasteries in the Meteora mountains, Greece, by photographer Paul E Williams.

One of the most spectacular sights in Europe are the Meteora monasteries perched precariously on the top of rock pillars. It is hard to imagine how the monasteries were built in such a remote and inaccessible locations before any mechanised equipment was available. How did a monk in a cassock climb the sheer rock faces of the rock pillars in the first place?

Why the Meteora Monasteries were built

The Meteora mountains are in the centre of Greece in a remote area. For a long time early Christians had made cave hermitages in the rock pillars, so it was a natural progression to make hermitages onto of the pillars. This mimicked the very popular saint of the era, Saint Simeon Stylites, who lived onto of a pillar in the Syrian desert.

As the Roman Byzantine Empire was slowly conquered by the Islamic Ottomans, Christians looked for sites where they could carry on Christian practices unhampered.

The First Meteora Monastery

In the fourteenth century Meteora monastery building started in earnest when a monk from Mount Athos, Athanasios Koinovitis, climbed a pinnacle known as the Plathy Lithos. The wide plateau at the pillars top was perfect for a monastery and garden. Here helped a group of followers Athanasios built the first buildings of the Metéoron monastery.

In 1388 Thessaly was ruled by a Serbian King and his son, Loasaf, became a pupil of Athanasios at the Metéoron. The King extended the monastery which became an important center of learning. Many fine illuminated codecs and important Byzantine frescos are in its church.

Meteora Monasteries Expand

23 more monasteries were built over the next 2 centuries. Precious relics and icons found safety in the impregnable monasteries. The finger of St John and the shoulder blade of St Andrew are in the monastery of Varlaám.

Today 6 monasteries remain and can be visited, as long as you are fit enough to climb the steps up to them!

Photographing the Meteora Monasteries

There are 2 roads that can be driven up to the Meteora Monasteries. From the small car parks off this road it is possible to get magnificent view of all the monasteries.

As with all popular tourist sites in summer, the buses start rolling into the car parks at about 8-30 to 9 o’clock. Most of the tourists head to the big monasteries like the Metéoron. That means that it is still possible to sit quietly at the other monasteries and photograph in peace.

My photographers were taken shortly after sunrise in early summer. The Meteora are one of the sights that everyone visiting Europe should see. They are off the beaten track though and you will either need your own transport or join a bus tour. I have visited the Meteors e few time and will go again for sure. I hope you enjoy the photos

See the complete Sacred Places series of art photos.