Southwest of the village of Tarsos, clinging to the rocks like a falcon, stands the Holy Temple of “Panagia of the Rock,” known more widely as “Panagia Faneiromeni.” According to local tradition, this temple, celebrated every year on August 23rd, was founded as a fulfillment of a vow by a woman from Tarsos in Asia Minor, who miraculously survived during the Turkish invasions of the 13th century and arrived as a refugee alone and uprooted in Feneos. This local myth likely conceals historical truth, as Tarsos of Feneos, according to historians, took its name from the migration of inhabitants from Byzantine Tarsos during the turbulent centuries of Turkish expansionist wars.

Another tradition about the construction of the temple, which also refers to historical events, takes us to the time after the fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror. In May 1458, after reaching Corinth, which he besieged, Mehmed turned his attention to the interior of Corinthia with the goal of the Tarsos castle, which held a strategically advantageous position. Mehmed’s troops unsuccessfully besieged the impregnable castle, realizing that the secret lay in its water supply. By cutting off the water, they forced the besieged to surrender. Many were killed, others captured to be taken to slave markets, and a few managed to escape. Some women were taken as slaves, while others jumped from the cliff, which is now the site of the Panagia temple, to avoid becoming Turkish slaves. A young mother with her baby in her arms pleaded with all her might for the conquerors to spare the child she held. However, the Turks were unmoved and threw her and the baby off the cliff. She then invoked the help of Panagia, and miraculously, she was found at the base of the vertical cliff, 100 meters below, safe and unharmed. Out of gratitude for her salvation, this woman shaped the crack in the rock into a temple.

Regardless of its origins, the temple is nestled in a landscape of exceptional natural beauty, in the shadow of rocks that are rightfully called the Meteora of Corinthia. The cave that houses the sacred space is “two-storied,” with the chapel on the “lower” floor and a rudimentary storeroom and shelter for difficult times on the “upper” floor. A steep stone staircase leads to the three small, semicircular arranged compartments of the temple. Passing through the low doors with a sense of awe and reverence, visitors reach the third main space of the temple, which houses the Holy Altar. Water flows from the edge of the rock, cool and therapeutic, associated with the sanctity of the place.

The temple is adorned with notable icons, such as those of Panagia and Christ, as well as an icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos, all over 150 years old and created by the iconographer Asimakis Skaltzas. Additionally, there is a portable icon of Panagia Vrefokratousa, over 200 years old, a unique work of iconographic art crafted on a single piece of carved wood.

A visit to the small yet imposing temple of Panagia of the Rock bestows upon the traveler unique emotions. The breathtaking view towards the Olvios River valley and the deep mystagogical natural and religious environment, intertwined with the long history of the place, creates a life experience that remains unforgettable and unparalleled.





Skip to content