Pátmos, St. John Monastery

We walked around harbor area for awhile, then took a taxi (1500 dr) to near the top of the island, then walked the rest of the way up the hill to St. John Monastery. The buildings are quite colorful, with arches and rooms and stairways, and this and that.

The construction of the monastery began in the 11th century, surrounded by massive grey stone walls with battlements that protected the main church and the five chapels. The library contains 15,000 books, over 1,000 manuscripts, and fragments of the famous Codex Purpureus, and other old, old, documents.