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71-448: Trikala is a lively Greek city with picturesque monuments and old neighborhoods with traditional architecture. The city is near Meteora and also near the mountain range of south Pindus , where there are many destinations (i.e. Pyli's stone bridge, Elati, Pertouli, Palaiokarya's stone bridge and waterfall, Pertouli Ski Center etc.). The city's name derives from the ancient Trikka or Trikke ( Greek : Τρίκκα or Greek : Τρίκκη ), which

142-552: A hammam , imaret , khan and karwansaray extending beyond the citadel and the Varoussi (Varosh) quarter which remained Christian". As the administrative center of the local province (the Sanjak of Trikala ), the city attracted Muslim immigrants and had large Muslim and Jewish communities: in the 1454/5 census, the city had 2,453 inhabitants (251 Muslim families and 9 widows, and 212 Christian families and 73 widows); in 1506,

213-415: A Mediterranean climate ( Csa ), although with significant diurnal temperature variation . Summers are very hot, with an August average high of 34.5 °C (94.1 °F). Meanwhile, autumn and spring are quite mild, lacking extremely low or high temperatures. Freezing temperatures occur sporadically, especially during winter nights. Occasional snowfall is observed but is generally not significant. Trikala

284-677: A Sebastokrator was named sebastokratorissa ( σεβαστοκρατόρισσα , sevastokratórissa ) in Greek, sevastokratitsa ( севастократица ) in Bulgarian and sevastokratorica in Serbian. The title was created by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos ( r.  1081–1118 ) to honour his elder brother Isaac Komnenos . According to Anna Komnene , Alexios did this to raise Isaac above the rank of Caesar , which he had already promised to his brother-in-law, Nikephoros Melissenos . Anna Komnene compares

355-464: A constant threat to pilgrims and tourists of Meteora. An earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Richter Scale shook the rocks in 1954; miraculously the thin pillars still stand today. In 2005, a massive rock fell, closing the access road leading up to Meteora for days. Theopetra Cave is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Kalambaka . Its uniqueness from an archeological perspective is that

426-528: A monk named Varlaam who scaled the rocks in 1350 and began construction on the monasteries . Varlaam built three churches by hoisting materials up the face of the cliffs. After Varlaam's death, the monastery was abandoned for two hundred years until two monk brothers, Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades, came to the rock in the 16th century and began to rebuild the churches in October 1517. The two brothers from Ioannina spent twenty-two years hoisting materials to

497-503: A single site contains records of two greatly significant cultural transitions: the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans and later, the transition from hunting-gathering to farming after the end of the last Ice Age . The cave consists of an immense 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft) rectangular chamber at the foot of a limestone hill, which rises to the northeast above the village of Theopetra, with an entrance 17 metres (56 ft) wide by 3 metres (9.8 ft) high. It lies at

568-523: Is twinned with: Meteora Download coordinates as: The Meteora ( / ˌ m ɛ t i ˈ ɔːr ə / ; Greek : Μετέωρα , pronounced [meˈteora] ) is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala , in Thessaly , in northwestern Greece , hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries , viewed locally as second in importance only to Mount Athos . Twenty-four monasteries were established atop

639-427: Is believed to have been constructed, like many of the other monasteries, in the 14th century. The cathedral is believed to have been built in the 16th century and later decorated in 1540. The name Rousanou is believed to come from the first group of monks who settled on the rock from Russia. The monastery sits on the elevation 484 meters. Lying in the middle of the site, visitors can see the other monasteries, as well as

710-434: Is built on the ancient city of Trikka or Trikke, which was founded around the 3rd millennium BC and took its name from the nymph Trikke, daughter of Peneus , or according to others, daughter of the river god Asopus . The ancient city was built at a defensive location in between the local hill and the river Lithaios. The city became an important center in antiquity and it was considered to be the birthplace and main residence of

781-481: Is etymologically related to meteor . Beside the Pindos Mountains , in the western region of Thessaly , these unique and enormous columns of rock rise precipitously from the ground. But their unusual form is not easy to explain geologically. They are not volcanic plugs of hard igneous rock typical elsewhere, but the rocks are composed of a mixture of sandstone and conglomerate . The conglomerate

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852-461: Is the main intercity public transport bus service in Greece, has frequent bus itineraries, connecting Trikala with the surrounding regions, Athens, Thessaloniki and many other cities of the mainland. The city is also served by a railway station . There are daily basis train connection to Athens and Thessaloniki . Trikala's continental influence isn't enough for the city to avoid being classified as

923-571: Is the uniformity of the sedimentary rock constituents deposited over millions of years leaving few signs of vertical layering, and the localised abrupt vertical weathering. Excavations and research have discovered petrified diatoms in Theopetra Cave , which have contributed to understanding the Palaeo-climate and climate changes . Radiocarbon dating evidences human presence dating back 50,000 years. The cave used to be open to

994-581: The Convention of Constantinople (1881) , Thessaly was taken over by the Kingdom of Greece . In 1921, Queen Marie of Romania visited Meteora, becoming the first woman ever allowed to enter the Great Meteoron monastery. In the 1920s there was an improvement in the arrangements. Steps were cut into the rock, making the complex accessible via a bridge from the nearby plateau. During World War II

1065-592: The Despotate of Epirus . Epirote rule lasted until 1259, when the town was taken without resistance by the Empire of Nicaea (after 1261 the renewed Byzantine Empire) following the Battle of Pelagonia . In the early 14th century the town was the capital of a semi-independent domain under the sebastokrator Stephen Gabrielopoulos , which extended across much of western Thessaly and Macedonia . After his death in 1332/3

1136-632: The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 . In the years that followed, Trikala played a fundamental role in the rural workers' mobilizations, in the early 20th century, against the Thessalian landlords ( Greek : Τσιφλικάδες ). Trikala eventually became the city that the first Agricultural Cooperative of Greece was founded, in 1906. Historically, Trikala and its surroundings had a notable concentration of Aromanians , including from other regions. The town lost much of its Ottoman and medieval buildings in

1207-535: The Meteora monasteries nearby. Symeon was succeeded by his son John Uroš , and he in turn by the local magnates Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos and Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos , who ruled until the Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1393/4. Under Ottoman rule, the city was called Tırhala . Its fortunes in the early period of Ottoman rule are unclear: it is reported as being part of a large sanjak under Ahmed,

1278-532: The Pantocrator , and the chapel of Panagia Doupiani. The monastery served as a resting place for pilgrims and quickly got its name of Anapausas (modern pronunciation anapafseos ), 'resting'. Being on such a narrow surface, the floors are connected through an interior staircase. St. Nicholas is honored on the second floor where the katholikon is located. On the third floor, there is the Holy Table and

1349-467: The monastery of Varlaam , which was reputed to house the finger of St. John and the shoulder blade of St. Andrew . Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders latched together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith – the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only "when the Lord let them break". In

1420-463: The " hestia " (kitchen), an old refectory that has since become a museum, and an assortment of rooms with different purposes. These include workrooms for paintings, embroidery, incense-making, and needlework. The church's interior was decorated with frescoes on the inside for a short period after 1545. However, During the World wars , the monasteries were bombed heavily and ransacked in the belief that

1491-660: The 11th-century Strategikon of Kekaumenos , where "Trikalitan Vlachs " are mentioned, and then in the early 12th-century Alexiad of Anna Komnene . Later in the century, the Arab traveller and geographer al-Idrisi recorded the town as "an important agrarian center with abundant vineyards and gardens" (T.E. Gregory). After the dissolution of the Byzantine state by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Trikala does not appear to have fallen into Frankish hands, but became part of

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1562-648: The 1603-4 "eşkal defter" Christian boys from the villages around the town were included in the batch that the Turnacıbaşı, the Chief collection officer levied. The 17th-century Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi reports that the city had 2,300 houses divided into sixteen Muslim and eight Christian quarters ( mahalla ); eight mosques, of which only the city's main mosque, the Osman Shah Mosque built by Mimar Sinan , survives today; four hammams ; six tekkes ; and

1633-456: The 16th century this was one of the last six monasteries still atop the Meteora. The Monastery of St. Stephen is located on a plateau-like structure. The original monastery was believed to have been built in the 14th century, however, a new katholikon was built in 1798 making it the newest of all the meteorite structures. The monastery is made up of many buildings including new katholikon,

1704-511: The 16th century, there were 24 monasteries at Meteora in Greece. They were created to serve monks and nuns following the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Much of the architecture of these buildings is Athonite in origin. Today there are six still functioning, while the remainder are largely in ruin. Perched onto high cliffs, they are now accessible by staircases and pathways cut into the rock formations. Traditionally,

1775-427: The 24 historic monasteries of Meteora are listed as follows. Coordinates are also given for some sites. The list is primarily sourced from Vlioras (2017), with some additional notes from Provatakis (2006). Other sites ( sketes , hermitages , rocks, etc.) include: The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is the oldest and largest of the monasteries of Meteora. The monastery is believed to have been built just before

1846-515: The Meteorite, brought a group of followers to Meteora. From 1356 to 1372, he founded The Monastery of Great Meteoron on the Broad Rock, which was perfect for the monks; they were safe from political upheaval and had complete control of the entry to the monastery. The only means of reaching it was by climbing a long ladder, which was drawn up whenever the monks felt threatened. The creation of

1917-632: The Thessalian region of Estaiotis, which occupied roughly the territory of the modern Trikala Prefecture . In historical times, the city of Trikke and the surrounding area experienced prosperity. It fell to the Achaemenid Persians in 480 BC, while ten years later it joined the Thessalian monetary union. In 352 BC it was united with the Macedonia of Philip II . The city became a location of hard battles between Macedonia and Rome. While Philip V of Macedon and his son Perseus tried to keep

1988-745: The Trikala Prefecture. The Physical Education and Sport Science department of the University of Thessaly is also located in Trikala, and was founded in 1994, with the first students being admitted in the academic year 1994-1995; it was originally housed in the Matsopoulos Park facility, but moved to the new Karyes campus in July 1999. Trikala has over 20 schools of secondary education, and a modern night technical school also functions in

2059-552: The caves. Meteora is not mentioned in classical Greek myths nor in Ancient Greek literature . The first people documented to inhabit Meteora after the Neolithic Era were an ascetic group of hermit monks who, in the ninth century AD, moved up to the ancient pinnacles . They lived in hollows and fissures in the rock towers, some as high as 1800 ft (550m) above the plain. This great height, combined with

2130-593: The city numbered 3,100 inhabitants, with 260 Muslim, 310 Christian and 19 Jewish families; in 1520/38, the number had risen to 301 Muslim, 343 Christian, and 181 Jewish families. The city also became an important intellectual center during these years (1543–1854) with the Trikke School (and later Greek School), where famous intellectuals of the time, such as Dionysius the Philosopher , taught. Christian children from Trikala also became Janissaries . According to

2201-558: The city, after 168 BC it fell to the Roman Republic . While the area was considered to be firmly under the rule of the Byzantine Empire , it was invaded nevertheless by a succession of raiders and nomadic tribes. Some of these tribes that raided the area include: Goths (396), Huns (447), Slavs (577), Bulgarians (986–1000), Normans (1082/3), Catalans (1309–1311). The current name of Trikala first appears in

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2272-654: The city, along with most of Gabrielopoulos' lands, was seized by the Epirote ruler John II Orsini , but he was in turn expelled and the area incorporated into the Byzantine Empire by Andronikos III Palaiologos . In 1348, Thessaly was conquered by Stephen Dushan and incorporated into the newly established Serbian Empire . The Serbian general Preljub was made the region's governor, and established himself at Trikala. In 1359, Dushan's half-brother Symeon Uroš established his court at Trikala, and in 1366/7 he founded

2343-401: The early 20th century, particularly after it was rebuilt to a modern urban plan in the 1930s. Trikala today is a vibrant greek city, well known throughout Greece for its river that bisects the city center and also for the historic monuments and the picturesque old town. Trikala city is in close proximity of many interesting destinations in the region suitable for daily trips. The city is near

2414-417: The face of an increasing number of Turkish attacks on Greece . At this time, access to the top was via removable ladders or windlass. Currently, getting up there is a lot simpler due to steps having been carved into the rock during the 1920s. Of the 24 monasteries, only six (four of men, two of women) are still functioning, with each housing fewer than ten individuals. The exact date of the establishment of

2485-471: The following 8 former municipalities, that became municipal units: The municipality has an area of 607.585 km, the municipal unit 69.205 km. The province of Trikala was one of the provinces of the Trikala Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipalities Trikala, Farkadona and Pyli . It was abolished in 2006. Trikala is home to the General Hospital of

2556-595: The foot of the Chasia mountain range, which forms the natural boundary between Thessaly and Macedonia regions, while the Lithaios River, a tributary of the Pineios River , flows in front of the cave. The small Lithaios River flowing literally on the doorsteps of the cave meant that cave dwellers always had easy access to fresh, clean water without the need to cover daily long distances to find it. Caves in

2627-636: The former five remain managed by monks . Meteora is located in between the town of Kalabaka and the village of Kastraki at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains . The Meteora complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of its outstanding architecture and beauty, combined with religious and cultural significance. The name means "lofty", "elevated", and

2698-470: The fourteenth century, Christian rule over northern Greece was being increasingly threatened by Turkish raiders who wanted control over the fertile plain of Thessaly, which they finally secured in the second half of the 15th century. The hermit monks, seeking a retreat from the expanding Ottoman empire , found the inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, of which six remain today. In 1517, Theophanes built

2769-422: The giant natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area, mainly from the second half of the 14th century under the local rule of Simeon Uroš . Six of these are still active and open to visitors: the monasteries of Great Meteoron (est. 1356), Varlaam , Saint Nicholas Anapausas , Rousanou , Holy Trinity , and Saint Stephen . The latter became a community of nuns in 1961, whereas

2840-548: The ground floor made of brick and supported on four columns. The three old churches or chapels include: The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist which lies next to the katholikon sanctuary, The Saints Constantine and Helen Chapel which is an aisle-less church with large vault , and finally the chapel of Virgin Mary situated in the cave. The Monastery of Varlaam is the second largest monastery of Meteora. The name Varlaam comes from

2911-568: The healing god Asclepius . The city exhibited one of the most important and ancient of Asclepius' healing temples, called asclepieia . The city is mentioned in Homer 's Iliad as having participated in the Trojan War with thirty ships under Asclepius' sons Machaon and Podalirius . In the Mycenean period, the city was the capital of a kingdom, and later it constituted the main center of

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2982-567: The imperial family, chiefly younger sons of the emperor. After the dismemberment of the Byzantine Empire by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the title was adopted in the Latin Empire , the Empire of Nicaea , and the Bulgarian Empire . In Nicaea and the post-1261 restored Byzantine Empire, the title remained one of the highest court dignities, and was almost always restricted to members of the imperial family. The last known holder of

3053-625: The mid 14th century by a monk from Mount Athos named Saint Athanasios the Meteorite . He began the build with a church in dedication to the Mother of God , the Virgin Mary . He later added small cells so that monks could concentrate and live atop the rock formations. The monastery's second name is, The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration , which got its name from the second church St. Meteorites built. The successor of Saint Athanasios

3124-434: The monasteries allows it to have a particular layout filled with many buildings. The katholikon is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus and was the first church of the monastery. The hermitage of the first founder of the monastery is a small building carved in rock. The kitchen or what is commonly referred to as the hestia is a dome-shaped building near the refectory . There is also a hospital, with its famous roof of

3195-536: The monasteries is widely believed to be unknown; however, there are clues to when each of the monasteries was constructed. By the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, a rudimentary monastic state had formed called the Skete of Stagoi and was centred around the still-standing church of Theotokos (Mother of God). By the end of the twelfth century, an ascetic community had flocked to Meteora. In 1344, Athanasios Koinovitis from Mount Athos, later known as Athanasios

3266-459: The monastic community at Meteora was protected and sponsored by the local lord Simeon Uroš , based in nearby Trikala , who in 1356 had proclaimed himself Emperor of Serbs and Greeks following the death of Stefan Dušan . Simeon Uros was succeeded in 1370 by his son John Uroš , who three years later retired as a monk to the Meteoron monastery and died there in the early 1420s. At the end of

3337-891: The monks were holding refugees. As of 2015 , the Monastery of St. Stephen is home to 28 nuns after its conversion to a nunnery in 1961. Meteora is popular with hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and rock climbers from around the world, particularly during the summer. The Meteora MTB Race , also known as the Vasilis Efstathiou (Βασίλης Ευσταθίου) MTB Race, is held annually at Meteora. Download coordinates as: Sebastokrator Sebastokrator ( Medieval Greek : Σεβαστοκράτωρ , romanized :  Sevastokrátor , lit.   'August Ruler', Byzantine Greek pronunciation: [sevastoˈkrator] ; Bulgarian : севастократор , romanized :  sevastokrator ; Serbo-Croatian : sevastokrator ),

3408-509: The probably exaggerated number of 1,000 shops, although Evliya curiously does not mention the city's impressive bezesten (covered market) which was demolished in the early 20th century. The city was largely burned down in a great fire in 1749, a destruction repeated by Albanian irregulars following an abortive uprising by the local Christian population during the Orlov Revolt . Despite the destruction, its population seems to have remained

3479-467: The public, but is currently closed indefinitely, for safety inspections. Vegetation grows thickly out of the vertical rock walls, mainly due to the water that one is able to find in the cracks and crevices that scale the cliff. Over the past several hundred years, the reports that the Meteora was easily accessible by foot have changed because now one must pass through an impenetrable jungle. Being such massive unpredictable rock pillars, rock falls pose

3550-526: The rank of sebastokratōr to "a second emperor", and also records that along with the Caesar a sebastokratōr was granted the right to wear a crown (but not the imperial diadem). During the Komnenian dynasty (1081–1185), the title continued to be the highest below that of Emperor until 1163, when Emperor Manuel I created the title of despotes . During that period, it was given exclusively to members of

3621-404: The rock cliffs. He offered the sanctuaries as a safe haven during times of political upheaval. The monk Dometius was said to be the founder of the monastery, arriving at the site of Holy Trinity in 1438. The actual monastery is believed to have been built between 1475 and 1476. Some do say that the exact construction date of the monastery like many of the other monasteries is unknown. By the end of

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3692-466: The ruins of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist and the Pantokrator. The Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas is located atop a small narrow rock. It is approximately eighty meters high and the first which the pilgrims encounter on their way to the holy Meteora. The Monastery was founded in the late 14th century and today is surrounded by the deserted and ruined monasteries of St. John Prodromos,

3763-652: The same, ca. 25,000, until the outbreak of the Greek Revolution in 1821. By 1840, it reportedly had only 10,000 inhabitants, with the last Ottoman census in 1877/8 listing 25,000 inhabitants for the entire sanjak of Trikala. On 23 August 1881 with the Treaty of Constantinople between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece , the city passed in Greek sovereignty, along with the rest of Thessaly. It became occupied again by Ottoman forces briefly during

3834-434: The sheerness of the cliff walls, kept away all but the most determined visitors. Initially, the hermits led a life of solitude, meeting only on Sundays and special days to worship and pray in a chapel built at the foot of a rock known as Dupiani . As early as the eleventh century, monks occupied the caverns of Meteora. However, monasteries were not built until the fourteenth century, when the monks sought somewhere to hide in

3905-498: The site was bombed. There are various rocks of Meteora that surround the village of Kastraki and border the north side of the main town of Kalabaka . The height in metres is also given for various rocks. The greater Meteora rock formation also extends northwest into the Gavros and Agios Dimitrios areas, although the term Meteora is commonly used to refer to only the rocks around Kalabaka and Kastraki . At their peak in

3976-471: The son of Evrenos Bey , but in the early 15th century it formed part of the domain of Turahan Bey , who brought in Muslim settlers and granted privileges to the local Greek population. Turahan and his son and successor, Ömer Bey , erected many buildings in the city, helping it, in the words of the historian Alexandra Yerolimpos, to "[acquire] the appearance of a typical Ottoman town, with mosques, medreses ,

4047-415: The time of pseudo-Kodinos in the mid-14th century, the insignia associated with the rank were a skiadion hat in red and gold, decorated with gold-wire embroideries, with a veil bearing the wearer's name and pendants identical to those of the despotēs . He wore a red tunic ( rouchon ) similar to the emperor's, but without the rizai decorations and the insignia of military power. His mantle ( tamparion )

4118-542: The title was Demetrios Kantakouzenos , a ruler in the Peloponnese in the late 14th century. According to the sources, the distinctive colour associated with the title was blue: the sebastokratōr ′s ceremonial costume included blue stockings and blue boots . In circa 1260, according to George Akropolites , the sebastokratores who were members of the imperial family were distinguished from those who were not by having embroidered golden eagles on their shoes. By

4189-578: The top of the rock formation, however, the building only is reported to have taken around twenty days. Monks have been present since the 16th century, however, there has been a constant decline in their presence since the 17th century. Today the monastery is accessed through a series of ladders that scale the north side of the rock. The museum is open to travelers and contains a wide array of relics and ecclesiastical treasures. As of 2015 there are seven monks remaining in Varlaam. The Monastery of Rousanou

4260-536: The town. Trikala has the distinction of being the first smart city in Greece, integrating new technologies into the daily life of the municipality and providing government services to citizens by means of e-governance . Furthermore, it is in the process of becoming Greece's first 5G -ready city. The city is next to the Motorway 3 (A3), or the Central Greek motorway (known also as E65 highway). KTEL, which

4331-427: The vertical faults. It is unusual that this conglomerate formation and type of weathering are confined to a relatively localised area within the surrounding mountain formation. The complex is referred to an exhumed continental remnant of Pangean association. This type of rock formation and weathering process has happened in many other places locally and throughout the world, but what makes Meteora's appearance special

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4402-543: The vicinity of Meteora were inhabited continuously between 50,000 and 5,000 years ago. The oldest known example of a built structure, a stone wall that blocked two-thirds of the entrance to the Theopetra cave , was constructed 23,000 years ago, probably as a barrier against cold winds – the Earth was experiencing an ice age at the time – and many Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts of human occupation have been found within

4473-475: The walls are decorated by 14th-century frescoes. The monastery has been restored in the 16th century and again in the 1960s. The Monastery of the Holy Trinity is believed to have been built in the 14th and 15th century. Even prior to this, ancient Greeks established hermitages at the base of the rock cliffs. In the 14th century, John Uroš moved to the Meteora and endowed and built monasteries on top of

4544-414: The words of UNESCO, "The net in which intrepid pilgrims were hoisted up vertically alongside the 373 metres (1,224 ft) cliff where the Varlaam monastery dominates the valley symbolizes the fragility of a traditional way of life that is threatened with extinction." Until the seventeenth century, the primary means of conveying goods and people from these eyries was by means of baskets and ropes. Under

4615-468: The world famous Meteora and Kalampaka and also near the mountain range of south Pindus with its renowned sights i.e. the stone bridge of Pyli (16th c.), the Byzantine Church of Porta Panagia, the stone bridge (16th c.) and waterfall of Palaiokarya, Elati, Pertouli, Neraidochori and Pertouli Ski Center. The municipality Trikala was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of

4686-402: Was Saint Joasaph, who continued to build more cells, a hospital, and renovated the churches atop the rocks. The Monastery thrived in the 16th century when it received many imperial and royal donations. At the time it had over three hundred monks living and worshipping within its cells. It is still a living monastery as there were three monks in residence as of 2015. Being the largest among all

4757-538: Was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire . It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence (Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire ). The word is a compound of sebastós ( lit.   ' venerable ' , the Greek equivalent of the Latin Augustus ) and krátōr ('ruler', the same element as is found in autokrator , 'emperor'). The wife of

4828-421: Was also of blue, his saddle blanket featuring furthermore four red-embroidered eagles. His tent was white with blue decorations. The form of the domed skaranikon , on the other hand, for the sebastokratōr was unknown to pseudo-Kodinos. The sebastokratōr also had the prerogative of signing documents with a special blue ink . Kaloyan inherited the title possibly from his father Aleksandar (d. after 1232),

4899-498: Was formed of deposits of stone, sand, and mud from streams flowing into a delta at the edge of a lake, over millions of years. About 60 million years ago during the Paleogene period a series of earth movements pushed the seabed upward, creating a high plateau and causing many vertical fault lines in the thick layer of sandstone. The huge rock pillars were then formed by weathering by water, wind, and extremes of temperature on

4970-608: Was itself named after a nymph that was a daughter of Peneus or Asopos . The name Trikala appears in the Byzantine period. In Turkish it is known as Tırhala . In Aromanian it is known as Trikolj . The region of Trikala has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The first indications of permanent settlement have been uncovered in the cave of Theopetra, and date back to approx. 49,000 BC. Neolithic settlements dating back to 6,000 BC have been uncovered in Megalo Kefalovriso and other locations. The city of Trikala

5041-403: Was no longer known, but the stockings were blue; under John VI Kantakouzenos ( r.  1347–1354 ), however, when the emperor raised his brothers-in-law Manuel and John Asanes to the rank, he permitted them to wear tamparia and stockings like those of the despotēs . The sebastokratōr ' s shoes and stockings were blue, with gold-embroidered eagles on red background; and his horse tack

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