The most beautiful religious buildings Dodecanese

The monastery of St. George is a 2.5 hour walk from Arvanitochori, a charming flowery village nestled in a beautiful valley of fig trees, bougainvillea and jasmine. Take a small path to the left, heading south, on the road to Aghia Marina. If you are lucky, or if you come across him in the village before your visit, the caretaker of the monastery will not only give you a tour, but he can accommodate you for a night or two. A unique experience, with a dinner based onofto , a dish of lamb roasted for several hours.

The Kos synagogue has finally been renovated: closed for almost 40 years, it was consecrated and inaugurated in July 2023. It will soon be reopened to the public to tell the story of the Jewish community of Kos, almost entirely murdered by the Nazis after their deportation on July 22, 1944. The story of this synagogue begins in 1747, when a member of the local Sephardic community decided to build a first temple. The establishment of the Jewish community in Kos dates back to the Second Temple period, but it was expelled by the Knights in 1502, before being able to return thanks to the more tolerant laws of the Ottoman Empire. The community fluctuated in size over the course of the ^19th century, and was mainly involved in commercial activities, particularly wine. It was integrated into the wider Kos community, speaking Greek and Turkish, as well as Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language. The local community expanded in the early ^20th century, following the arrival of refugees from Asia Minor after the Great Catastrophe of 1922. The great earthquake of 1933 did not spare the synagogue, which was rebuilt the following year in the Art Deco style still admired today. On the eve of the Nazi occupation, the synagogue housed around 140 members of the community. They were all arrested on the same day by the Nazis and sent to their deaths in the Auschwitz camp, along with the Rhodes Jewish community. Only one survivor returned to Kos after the liberation of the camps, and the synagogue has been abandoned to this day.

Outside the fortifications of the medieval kastro, this large church dedicated to the Virgin Mary is the most important in Astypalaia, and certainly the most beautiful. Founded in 1762 by Saint Anthime the Blind, an ascetic from Cephalonia in the Ionian Islands, it houses a magnificent carved wooden iconostasis. The Virgin is celebrated here on Dormition Day (August 15), the biggest religious and folkloric celebration of the year. Residents and visitors gather for two days on the square to enjoy traditional dishes.

This immaculate nunnery, drowned in lush green plants and lovingly tended by the resident nuns (who sometimes jealously guard the premises, even during official opening hours...), is located not far from the town hall square, to the west of the main monastery. Founded in 1607, its katholicon houses some of the finest frescoes painted between the ^16th and ^18th centuries. Among the highlights is an icon venerated as miraculous: the icon of the Virgin Eleousa or Panagia Eleousa - known as the Three-Eyed Virgin.

Skirting the bay of Xirokambos on the only road beyond the To Kima tavern, a path leads down to the tiny, rock-encrusted church of Panaghia Kavouradena. This touching chapel is distinguished by its small size and red roof. Inside, note the icon of the Virgin of the Crab that gives it its name. It is said that a crab fisherman found a miraculous icon here. The Virgin's nativity is celebrated here on September 8. Be sure to stop off at this little corner of the world as the sun sets over Kalymnos.

The road leaving Kefalos to the south winds through a totally unspoilt and wild area. At a fork in the road, you can continue towards Agios Theologos beach or the chapel of St. John the Baptist. The panoramic views that open up change at every turn, and are enchanting. The chapel overlooks the endless Aegean, shaded by centuries-old plane trees. Here, a small café offers shade, refreshments and mezzedes.