The Monastery of Archangels - Asteriou

The entrance

801_8343 [Asteriou: The entrance]

The entrance to a little Byzantine monastery which stands on the northwestern part of Mt. Hymittos at a height of 545 m.

The monastery dates back to 10th c. and was populated until 1960. Throughout its history it has housed a large library. It’s dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel but it’s commonly known as Asteriou Monastery. A name that became widely used after a monk (Osios Loukas) from Steirio lived in the monastery circa 920 AD. The church caught fire at some time but some of the frescoes that date back to 16th c. can still be seen.
 

The court yard

801_8327 [Asteriou: The court yard]

The refectory

801_8303 HDR9 [Asteriou: The refectory]

The church interior

801_8319 HDR7 [Asteriou: The church interior]

Photographed on Mt. Hymittos on November 2, 2014