Kipina Monastery: A Medieval Rock Monastery in Greece
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.8
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Greece
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Byzantine, Ottoman
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Monastery
On this page7 sections
History
Kipina Monastery is a medieval rock monastery in Greece, near Kalarites in Epirus, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The feast commemorates the death and assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and is a common dedication for Eastern Orthodox churches. One record dates the monastery’s construction to 1202, while older written texts place its foundation in 1212.
Foundation and Early Development
The texts that give the 1212 date attribute the foundation to Archbishop Gregory. Another tradition places the establishment in the thirteenth century and connects it with monks from Vyliza Monastery. The name Kipina comes from gardens that the monks once cultivated in the surrounding area.
Ottoman Rule and Later History
During Ottoman rule, tradition holds that the monastery contained a secret school. Kipina Monastery flourished particularly during the eighteenth century, before gradual abandonment during the nineteenth century. In 1931, it became a dependency of Tsouka Monastery, a smaller monastic establishment administered by a larger monastery. It is also identified as an active church and belongs to the Diocese of Ioannina under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the senior patriarchal institution of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, with an association with the administration of the Church of Greece.
Remains
Rock-Cut Setting and Access
The monastery occupies a steep, vertical rock face above the Kalarites River on the northern side of the Tzoumerka mountain range. A narrow path carved into the rock leads to a wooden bridge at the principal entrance, making the approach part of the site’s built setting.
Monastery Church
The katholikon, the principal church of an Orthodox monastery, is a small single-nave basilica with a narthex, the entrance vestibule adjoining the main body of a church. Its roof is formed by the natural rock, which was carved into a regular, uniform vaulted shape. The interior is covered with frescoes dated variously to the seventeenth or eighteenth century. A wood-carved iconostasis with gilded decorative elements stands within the church.
Monastic Cells
The monastic cells form a two-level architectural complex constructed with wooden elements and integrated into the surrounding rock and other natural features. The cells have been restored and maintained, preserving this built relationship between the monastic accommodation and the cliff.
