Monastery of Agios Dimitrios of Zalongo

At the shadow of the legendary rock of Zalongo, under the impressive monument of the sacrifice of the people of Souli, is the historic monastery of Agios Dimitrios. It is connected to it through 400 steps.

For its older history not a lot are known, but it seems that it dates from the 8th century. Initially the monastery was higher, near Kamarina, and was dedicated to Taxiarches. From this complex today survive only the ruins of the old catholicon, which was destroyed in 1942 from the German troops. In the second half of the 18th century the monastery was transferred to its present day location, at the foothills of the mountain, where there was already a metochi of the Monastery of Taxiarches with a church of Agios Dimitrios and a few cells. The conversion of the metochi to a main church took place by abbot Dionysios, who renovated completely the catholicon, as a relevant inscription that survives at the church informs us. Later they added auxiliary areas and the monastery’s precinct.

The new monastery evolved to an important religious centre, it obtained significant property, and had metochia in the wider area but also in Attica. At the same time, it played an important role to the liberation struggles of the people of Epirus, since it became the meeting place of the chieftains and its monks participated actively in the military conflicts. During its long history it suffered numerous destructions, while it was torched by the Turkish troops during the Greek-Turks was in 1897. The buildings were repaired in 1912, but were destroyed again in 1924, this time from an earthquake. After decades of decline, the monastery was reconstructed in 1962 and converted to a women’s monastery.

Architecturally, the catholicon of the monastery is a small aisleless basilica, with a dome that has been added at a later date. Its interior is covered by remarkable wall paintings, which as it is mentioned on an inscription at the entrance of the church, they were completed in 1816 by the priest Ioannis and Christodoulos, from Koritiani in Ioannina.

The monastery remains closed for pilgrims every Friday.