st. ephraim monastery

To get a feel of the greek orthodox religious practices and culture this monastery is a good example and quite near the centre of Athens. It is a women's monastery and the nuns have done a great job over the years to expand or renovate it. Well known to greeks has a regular flux of pious worshipers. A bit creepy to the tourist might be the corpse of the saint that is in plain display inside the church which is said to have performed miracles. You will need to be appropriately dressed otherwise you will have to wear skirs offered next to the church to cover exposed parts of the body (especially thighs). Do not miss a visit to the nearby town of Nea Makri for a nice sea-side stroll or eat fish.

St. Ephraim of Nea Makri believed to have lived from 1384 to 1426, is venerated as a martyr and miracle-working saint by many Greek Orthodox Christians in Greece.St. Ephraim’s name and biography, complete with exact dates and details, is said to have been revealed to a hermit nun, Makaria Desipri, in a series of divinely inspired dreams in 1950. Following these dreams, a body believed to be that of the saint was found in the ground near the nun’s hermitage, on the site of an abandoned medieval monastery on the slopes of Mount Amomon, near the town of Nea Makri, in Attica, Greece. The saint, whose body was kept as a holy relic, quickly became the object of popular veneration, as he came to be known as a worker of miraculous healings. On the site of his supposed life and martyrdom a Monastery of the Annunciation of Our Lady (Agia Paraskevi’) was later erected. In 1998, St. Ephraim was officially declared a saint by the Synod of the Orthodox Church in Greece, pending approval by the Patriarch of Constantinople.The chapel with the tree of the martyrdom of the Saint is visited by thousand pilgrims both Orthodox and Catholic and by people looking to cure diseases. I can say that even if you are atheist, the place worth a visit for its mysticism and peaceful courtyard and architecture.Something different and outside the beaten tracks.

Nella parte collinare di Nea Makri paese a circa 36 km dal centro di Atene e a 4 circa da Maratona è sistuato il monastero del martire Santo Ephraim.Davanti all'ingresso ci sono ii soliti venditore di icone, souvenir bottiglietti di varie capacità per prendere l'olio e l'acqua benedetta nell Monastero, ma appena superato il grande cancello si entra in un'altra dimensione.Una strada un pò in salita " attenzione ai disabili " in parte acciottolata conduce all'ingresso vero e proprio dle Monastero. Nel cortile le donne che indossano i pantaloni o gonne troppo corte devono indossare per rispondere alle norme locali del decoro delle sottane messe li a disposizioone dei visitatori, sempre in questo cortile c'è la fontana dell'acqua benedetta.All'interno davanti alla chiesa potete scrivere delle suppliche o preghiere su foglietti di carta e metterli nell'apposita cassetta.Molto bella la chiesa con i resti del santo.Nel negozietto si possono acquistare candele di tutte le dimensioni da lasciare accese in chiesa.Davvero un luogo di pace

В монастыре мы оказались в нужное время и с нужным настроем. Встретили семью греков выходцев из Мариуполя, которые помогли написать записки с именами на греческом языке-огромное им спасибо! Служительница специально для нас открыла церковную лавку и терпеливо дожидалась нашего выбора-что же купить на память. Саркофаг Ефрема находится в красивом небольшом храме, расписанном узнаваемыми сюжетами. Место намоленое и сильное. Чувств вызывает больше, чем можно подобрать слов. Возьмите с собой фото людей, о ком стоит просить помощи у Ефрема.

βρησκετε στο δυτικο μερος της νεας μακρης ακριβως κατω απο τον οικισμο της ανατολης σε μια πλαγια σε δασωδη εκταση προσβασημη με αυτοκηνητο ειναι μονη γυναικων και δεν εχη τωρα πολλες μοναχες ομως ειναιενα μεροσ που ερχωνται θρησκευομενοι απο παντου υπαρχη δε ηκαρα του αγιου