Panagia Tsambika

Once upon a time there was a Shepherd and he was out with his flock by night and he saw a light, far above, on the mountain.  He was scared.  The next night, the light was there again, so on the third he went up the mountain with some villagers to see what they could find.  They feared wrong doers.

On the mountain they were shocked to find a religious icon of Mother Mary, Kyra with a candle next to it.  They talked of their find and no one was missing an icon, but eventually word reached Cyprus and there was an icon missing there.  Priests came and confirmed the icon was theirs and returned it to it's home.  Except the icon reappeared on top of the mountain on Rhodes.

This time when they took it back, they secretly used soot to mark the back.  It reappeared on Rhodes again and there it has stayed ever since.  A monastery was founded, there on that peak to Kyra. Legend has it that the couple who found it were infertile and following the find had children.

This particular monastery is famed for helping women to conceive.  Those that do, following a visit to the moastery, name their child either Tsambika or Tsambiko, and these are common names on the island.  She is considered a protector of the Island and Tsamba means Spark.

The site may have originally been the location of an altar to Artemis.  The monastery was rebuilt in 1770 but it is not known when it was first built.  There is now a larger monastery down by the road which is still working.  The original 11th Century icon is kept in the main monastery but a copy is kept in the tiny mountain top monastery.

This is a good site with pictures and videos of the area.

So, lying on the beach at our hotel we could see the monastery, just about, perched on the very top, with obvious precipitous drops to most sides.  We could also just about make out the taverna situated at the top of the road by the car park. 

The view from Cape Vagia to Tsambika.  The monastery is situated on the highest peak, middle left in this photo.  The path wended it's way up the gentler slop to the right, the road went as far as the shoulder beneath the peak to the right.

I am large and unfit and although I was depserate to go up, I was nervous too, particularly in the heat.  Just before we left I saw some Ants and they reminded me that you can achieve huge, impossible seeming tasks, if you take it slow and make one baby step at a time.  

The road is very steep and full of hair pin bends and our little hire car only just made it to the car park.  From here the path slopes upwards and very soon the steps begin.  307 of them.  They were not hard steps but there was often sloping ground between them as well.  The path wound it's way up the side of the mountain, through beautiful pine woodland through which you gained tantalising tasters of the view to come.

The path wends it's way through pretty pine woods, snaking up the mountain.

Part way up there was a really good place to admire the view with a bench and rocks had been left by the path.  We each took a rock and added it to the wall.  I of course made use of every bench and a good many rocks on my way up.  I probably stopped about every ten steps!

Trees grow out of rocks

But by going slowly and peacefully we really appreciated the mountain.  It felt very special.  So peaceful and beautiful.  It has to be one of the most amazing places I have ever visited.  The atmosphere was so incredible.

We reached the top and a tiny walled garden is wrapped around the monastery with drops on all sides but where the path came up.  There is a cross and steps up to the gate into the courtyard which is decorated with beautiful pebble mosaics.  One of these is a cup with two Doves sat on it.  Here I lit a candle before moving through into each of the three tiny rooms of the monastery.  No photography is allowed within the monastery itself.

The last few steps up to the Monastery.

The view was incredible with views both ways along the coast as well as inland.  But as amazing as this place is, i can't describe really how it made me feel or what it means to me.  As we drove back to our hotel I saw two white Doves fly above an Olive Orchard.

The Monastery from behind

p.s.  I vow to get my own camera - F has a habit of taking arty shots or photos with me in them.  I am beginning to realise that two people out for the day, each with a camera, would come back with very different photos.... *laugh*