Patmos Island
Patmos is the northernmost island in the Dodecanese archipelago. The islands of the archipelago lie like pearls in a necklace between Samos and Rhodes near the southwestern coast of Turkey. Patmos is also called the “Jerusalem of the Aegean.” It is the place where St. John the Theologian wrote the Revelations. The island is characterized by a mystical, supernatural atmosphere, with many saying that unusually vivid dreams have visited them here.
General Information
In 1088, Emperor Alexius I Comnenus gave Patmos to St. Christodoulos to establish a monastery here in honor of St. John. The saint chose the peak that dominates the island, and an Orthodox monastery still stands there.
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The monastery is surrounded by fortified walls. In addition to the main church, where Christodoulos’ tomb is located, Byzantine frescoes depicting the Virgin Mary can be viewed in the chapel of Theotokos – they were only discovered in 1958 after an earthquake. Other treasures are kept in the library and sacristy.
.The Cave of the Apocalypse is a place of pilgrimage, it was here that St. John wrote the Revelations after the Lord spoke to him. At the entrance to the cave is the late 11th century chapel of St. Anne. The nearby seminary was founded in 1713, and its students were pastors of the Greek Orthodox Church.
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Patmos and the surrounding islands have many lovely secluded bays where you can swim without fear of running into crowds of vacationers.
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