Holy Monastery of Daphni

Open Wednesday to Saturday!] Duffney Abbey is built on the site of the ancient Apollo Temple. The temple was destroyed by the invaded Goths in 395. Now only one Ioni pillar is standing in the original colonnade, and the rest is brought back to London by the Earl of Elgin. Originally built in the 6th century, the monastery was dedicated to the death of the Virgin. Due to its wealth and fame, it was looted by the crusaders in the 11th century. At the end of the 11th century, an unknown donor paid for the reconstruction of the monastery. The area was given to the lord of Athens in 1204, and in 1207 it was taken over by the Sidos and converted. When Athens was taken over by the Turks in 1458, the monastery was returned to the Orthodox Church. Orthodox monks were rebuilt again. It was used as a military station during the Greek Revolution. Between 1838 and 39, Bavarian troops were stationed there. 1883 and 85 were used as madhouses. They were badly damaged in the earthquakes of 1889 and 1897.

People from Greece know the secret and metaphoric meaning of the expression " I'm on the way to Daphni.." LOL

This monastery is worth a visit. The trouble is that it is not easy to get to and it's in an area that isn't near much so you would really want to see it. I feel like Greece has a million churches and monasteries as good (if not better than this one) so really if you want to see something spectacular, go to Meteora.

:Q

The monastery, which is situated in the entrance of the city, is full of very elaborate gold plated mosaics of the Byzantine times. Worth paying a visit!