Holy Annunciation Monastery

The Monastery of the Annunciation, the largest nunnery on the island ,is located in the southwestern part of the island and it has an outstanding view of the bay of Kipi, as it has been built on the cliff’s edge.

In 1613 the Abbot of the Monastery of St. John built a hermitage there, dedicating it to Saint Luke the Evangelist who healed him from a deadly disease. In 1937, the Elder Amphilochios Makris turned the hermitage into a monastery by adding new buildings and dedicated it to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mother .

The icons and the murals of the monastery are dated between the 15th and the 17th century. Nun Olympia, student of the famous hagiographer Fotis Kontoglou, played an important role, as she has painted a considerable number of icons of the monastery and she passed her art to her own students.

The monastery had also an important role to play during the Italian occupation, as the nuns, in their effort to maintain the Greek language, started teaching young children.

Today the monastery is inhabited by nuns. Their main activity is the embroidery with the notorious Patmian stitch, which is said to have been maintained from the Byzantine era. Some other activities are gardening and beekeeping. The monastery is also known for its charitable activity.

• The monastery can be visited daily (except Friday) from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

• Telephone: 22470 31276/ 31336

Ιερα Μονή Ευαγγελισμού, Πάτμος