NUNNERY OF THE ANNUCIATION

The convent of the Annunciation or Evangelismos is situated on the southwest side of Hora overlooking the Bay of Kypos (gardens) and is about a 15 minute walk from the bus station. The convent started off as a small chapel with a hermitage until 1613 when Nikiphoros, an abbot from the monastery of St. John the Divine, renovated the building and dedicated it to Luke the Evangelist. The hermitage was then supplemented with new buildings in 1937 by the monk Amphilohios Makris thus founding the Convent of the Annunciation. The sisterhood is home to over 40 nuns who apart from praying, occupy themselves with social welfare, gardening, beekeeping and Byzantine embroidery called thespitha (spark). The same stitch was used to make embroidery for aristocratic Byzantine families from the time of Hosios Cristodoulos. The convent consists of the church Evangelistra (our lady of the Annuction) connecting with the side chapel of Agios Loukas (St. Luke) and the chapel of Agios Antonios (St. Anthony) situated in the tower of the convent. The icons in the church date back to the 15th, 16th and 17th century.

Most frequent asked questions

HOW TO GET TO The nunnery lies to the southwest below Hora. It will take 20 minutes on foot from the bus station in Hora. There is a road that takes you to the entrance, to get there turn right at the first large crossroad as you leave Hora for Grikos, turn right again at the first street, over the hill and follow the turning road to the nunnery. At one point on this road you can turn off and it may seem that you are continuing your way up to Hora this is the wrong way. Without private transport you can catch a bus to Hora. Walk up to the old market place “Platia Losa” that is easily distinguished from the statue of Emmanuel Xanthos and the town hall. Walk past the town hall down a narrow street, you will pass a small mini-market on the left and soon come to a crossroad. Keep to the right until the next junction, where there are three wooden arrows, one will lead you down a flight of stairs. There, after two side streets you turn right, and right again when the street forks. Continue until you reach a small square. Here you choose the path on the right until you come to three whitewashed chapels. The biggest of them (on the right) is a tiny nunnery with one nun and for a small contribution may be visited. On the right behind this chapel-nunnery is a footpath through untouched landscape. After about 400 meters the footpath divides, the left turn takes you to an asphalt road that leads you to the gate of the nunnery.