What I can see

On the western slope of Mount Penteli, is the Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Penteli or Menteli, as it was commonly called during the Ottoman years. Nowadays, only the catholicon (main church) and the nursing home have survived. The catholicon is a cruciform inscribed church with a dome, built in the style of Mount Athos church architecture. Inside, are the chapels of Saints Paul and Timotheos. The outer narthex was constructed later. The decoration is rich, with 17th-century paintings and later icons, some of which were painted by Fotis Kontoglou.

What I can't see

It was one of the largest and richest monasteries in Greece and continued to operate during the Ottoman years. It stopped after the Greek independence and by a law of king Otto’s viceroyalty. The old iconostasis and icons by the painter Ioannis Zen, as well as a cross of the same period (17th-18th century) are today kept in the monastery museum.

Info

• Address: Pentelis Av. and El. Venizelou St.

Bibliography