Patmos

Patmos is a Greek island in the Dodecanese archipelago, located in the eastern Aegean Sea near the coast of Asia Minor.

The island is home to important ancient monuments, beautiful nature and sunny beaches. The island is known as the Jerusalem of the Aegean because of its history. It is also an important place of pilgrimage and has been declared holy by the Greek Orthodox Church. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

In 95 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, Saint John was exiled to the island. John was a disciple of Christ and the author of one of the Gospels. It was on this island that he was to have a vision, which he later recorded in the Book of the Revelation of John in the Cave of the Apocalypse, which survives unaltered, including the outcropping where St John slept. The Monastery of the Apocalypse was built near it. It consists of three chapels, one of which was built into the cave. In 1088, the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos had a massive monastery built on Patmos in honour of St John. Soon after its foundation, the monastery became a centre of Greek learning. St. John's Monastery retained its importance even under Turkish rule. In the 15th century, the monastery complex was fortified with high walls and the entrance was secured by a fortified entrance gate. Behind the gate is an arcaded courtyard from the 17th century. In the eastern part stands the main church built in 1820. The two side chapels are very interesting. In one chapel there is a sarcophagus with the remains of the founder and in the other, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, unique frescoes from the 12th century were discovered under the 18th century frescoes. Further behind the church is a narrow inner courtyard and the entrance to the dining room. The dining room is also decorated with rare frescoes. Also interesting is the monastery library where there are 900 manuscripts and 13,000 rare documents. The main town of the island is located next to the monastery.

The second important monastery on the island is Panagia Kumana, which resembles a zoo-botanical garden. In the garden there are foreign birds and exotic plants.

Basic information:

• Greek name: PATMOS (Πάτμος)
• Capital: Skala
• Island area: 34 km2
• Population: 3000
• The highest peak: Profitis Ilias (269 m)