Monastery of Saint John the Theologian

The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian dominates the hilltop above Chora, the main settlement of Patmos, and the island's spiritual identity centres on it. It was founded in 1088 by the monk Christodoulos, who received a grant of the island from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The site was chosen because of its link to John, the Apostle to whom tradition attributes the Book of Revelation, supposedly written on Patmos in the first century. In the early Christian tradition of the island it is the place to honour John. The monastery has been inhabited without interruption ever since, which makes it one of the oldest continuously active monastic communities in the Orthodox world.

From outside it looks like a fortress, with high, buttressed walls, battlements and towers. This was deliberate, for the island and its monks lived under the constant threat of pirate raids in the Middle Ages. The steep lanes of Chora, with their whitewashed mansions of merchants and captains, grew up in the shelter of the walls, which is why the village feels so tightly wrapped around the monastery.

Inside, a vaulted passage leads to an inner courtyard with arcades and a holy-water fountain. The main church, the Catholicon, is dedicated to Saint John and has painted walls, carved templon screens and silver lamps. Beside it, the Chapel of the Virgin Mary preserves medieval wall paintings of great value, and other smaller chapels surround the courtyard. The monastery's treasury and museum hold icons, embroidered vestments, jewels and manuscripts, among them early Byzantine gospel fragments, and its library has some of the most important collections of handwritten books in Greece.

In 1999, UNESCO listed the Historic Centre of Chora with the monastery and the nearby Cave of the Apocalypse as a World Heritage Site. The designation recognizes both the architecture and the long continuity of monastic life. The cave lies down the hill, and many people link the two visits on one day, walking the old path between them.

Visiting requires respect for an active community. Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected, photography may be limited inside, and opening hours change with the season and the services, so check before going. The best time is morning, before cruise visitors reach the island, or late afternoon when the village is quieter. From the terraces you see the Aegean and neighbouring islands spread below.