A monastery in Rhodes that asks for children. Orthodox Rhodes: miraculous icon, missionary monastery and the Bible in frescoes

Monastery and chapel of the Virgin Tsambika

Attractions Rhodes: monastery and chapel of the Holy Mother of God Tsampika (Tsampika).

Holy Mother of God Tsambika It is known all over the world for helping to recover from infertility and have children for women who cannot become pregnant.

From all over the world, childless couples come to Tsambika to seek help.

Tsambiki Monastery is located on the road, it is not possible to pass by.

The territory of the monastery is beautiful and green.

Large courtyard in front of the church.

Church inside.

On the territory of the monastery there is a small museum dedicated to the history of Holy Mother of God Tsambika.

Everything you need for the rite of getting rid of infertility is sold in a church shop next to the church. With us, the woman behind the counter explained the procedure in bad English to a couple from Russia. I didn't listen much, but here's what I found out:

You need to buy a wax baby, an icon and some other thing. Climb barefoot (or better if on your knees, but this is cruel, you need to overcome 300 steps) to the chapel of St. Tsambika and leave the baby there. Then we leave home, put the icon by the bed and pray. And I almost forgot, I still need a man, well, you yourself understand why.

We bought everything we need. We drive to the foot of the mountain where the chapel of St. Tsambika is located.

We need to go back a little to Rhodes, with main road will be a pointer.

Photo pointer.

The road is narrow, with pits, but it is better to go up by car to the very end, because. It's not going to be an easy climb.

First, we walk along a concrete path without steps. Then the steps begin at the beginning, long and low, then the steps become smaller and steeper.

The rise is long, the sun bakes. There are benches along the way, you can take a breath.

The steps are numbered and you can brighten up the ascent by counting how many have passed and how much is left.

In some places, the steps are not fenced off from the cliff.

Climbing Tsambika is already worth it only because of the views from the mountain.

This place is interesting in that the land for the Orthodox chapel was donated by a Muslim, after his wife gave him a son after his wife asked for help from the Virgin Tsambika.

Why was the chapel erected on this mountain?

Tsambika in Greek means spark. One day a poor shepherd was sitting under a mountain at night and guarding his flock. He saw a light on the mountain. Thinking that it could be bandits, he called the guards and they went upstairs. To their surprise, they saw an icon of the Mother of God, with a lamp burning next to it. The icon was taken away and taken to Cyprus by wealthy merchants, but after a while the icon disappeared and, to everyone's surprise, it was found again on the mountain. Again the icon was lowered down, and after a while it again inexplicably returned to its place on the mountain.

After that, they decided not to touch the icon anymore, they made a chapel, and placed the icon in it.

At the foot of the mountain lies a magnificent sandy beach of Tsambika.

Many Greeks and tourists come to this beach every day to spend the whole day on the warm sand.

We've arrived.

The inside of the chapel is very small.

View from the chapel deep into the island of Rhodes.

View of the Tsambika Chapel from the Tsampika Monastery (a cafe opposite the monastery across the road). The chapel is white at the very top of the mountain.

Monasteries and temples of Rhodes Part I In addition to castles, monasteries and temples were of great interest to us on Rhodes. Here are the places we planned to visit while still at home: the church of St. Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Phuntukli), the church of St. Panteleimon in the village...

Monasteries and temples of Rhodes. Part I

Points of Interest, Caravanning, Travel Report in Greece, Corfu Island; Greece, Rhodes

Monasteries and temples of Rhodes
Part I

In addition to castles, monasteries and temples were of great interest to us in Rhodes. Here are the places that we planned to visit back at home: the church of St. Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Phuntukli), the church of St. Panteleimon in the village of Siana, Mount Filerimos, with the monastery of the Virgin located on it, the Byzantine monastery of Moni Tari, the famous monastery of Tsambika, Mount Tsambika with chapel of the Virgin Tsambika. And already on the spot, the Moni Kamiri monastery, the Kalopetra monastery, the temples in Lindos and Theologos and the ancient church of Agia Agati were added to this list.

Church of St. Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Phuntukli)- a very old and beautiful temple, located in the depths of the island (28 km from the city of Rhodes), in the mountains, at one of the highest points above sea level. Founded by a couple of Byzantine officials in the 14th century, it is considered one of the oldest sacred places in Greece. A picturesque road leads to the church, passing through the forests, the air in which is filled with the aroma of pine needles and resin.

The temple is small and simple, but still impressive, both for its age and appearance. And the atmosphere - it's QUIET. That's right, in capital letters. It is quiet not only inside, but also around, despite the presence of people and cars nearby.

Church of Agios Nicolas Phuntukli

The temple is located on a secondary road, except for us, while we were there, only one car arrived with tourists, the rest of the cars were local. The temple stands right by the road, in a small clearing. There is a water source nearby. Perhaps this is a holy spring (there were no signs there), as the locals come to draw water. They come with full trunks of five-liter containers. Well, we scored, pouring store-bought water from bottles, and dispersing the wasps, which fly in large numbers to drink from the source. Inside the temple, everything is simple. You can just take candles, leaving money for them, no matter how much it is a pity.

We lit candles, stood in the quiet twilight of the temple and continued on our way.

Church of St. Panteleimon is also located away from the coast, in the village of Siana.

Church of St. Panteleimon

The village is located on the slopes of Mount Akramitis, 65 km from the city of Rhodes. The church was built in the 19th century, from huge boulders, which were connected with lead brackets. The temple contains particles of the holy relics of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon. Very beautiful, elegant church, looks like a toy. Especially in comparison with large, strict and serious Russian churches.

And the inside is just as beautiful as the outside. There are few tourists here, mostly those who pass through Xi'an in transit. And since the temple is located on the central square of the village, it is simply impossible to drive through and not notice it. Almost everyone stops, especially since there is convenient free parking nearby, and around there are several taverns and souvenir shops.

Mount Filerimos- one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rhodes. You can, of course, consider it a hill - the height above sea level is only 270 meters. From here you have a beautiful view of the island, the Aegean Sea and the runway of Diagoras Airport.

All this can be seen from the observation deck, on which a large cross (height 17 meters) is installed.

Mount Filerimos

A picturesque alley leads to the site.

But the main attraction of the mountain is the monastery of the Virgin, built by knights in the XIV century. And before the knights in the XIII century, a monk came to the mountain, in whose honor this hill is named. Once on the top of the mountain was the acropolis of the city of Ialys, one of the three prominent Dorian cities of Rhodes. The monastery is not active now, and you can get to its territory for a couple of euros.

You can get to the mountain by car along a picturesque serpentine, by bus with an excursion, as well as by a regular bus that runs between the city of Rhodes and the mountain during the tourist season. Distance from the city 15 km. There is a large free parking lot.
A lot of peacocks walk around the territory of the monastery, which tourists are happy to catch in the frame. And some little tourists try to catch them not in the frame, but in their own hands :)

Photo of my son (c

The place is interesting and memorable, I advise you to visit there.

Monastery Moni Tari- one of the most important religious shrines of Rhodes, recognized as one of the most significant Byzantine monuments of the island.

Monastery Moni Tari

The construction dates back to the 12th century, but there are legends that it was erected in the 9th century by order of a terminally ill Byzantine princess, who was miraculously cured as soon as the construction was completed. Frescoes of the 12th century have been preserved in the temple.

The monastery (active, male) is located far away from busy roads, in the depths of the island, 40 km from the city of Rhodes. Despite the fact that many sources claim that this is a popular tourist place, we saw only two cars with tourists in the parking lot near the monastery. And on the way to the monastery, which winds through the picturesque hills covered with forests, we did not meet anyone at all. Maybe we were just so lucky, especially since we traveled in September, and not at the peak of the season.
The territory of the monastery is not very large, well-groomed, and work is underway to improve it further.

How beautiful the temple is, you can judge for yourself from the photo, comments are superfluous here.

There is a holy spring on the territory. The area near the temple is lined with multi-colored pebbles, very beautiful. To the right of the entrance hang several bells, which aroused the liveliest interest of my son. He is always partial to bells and bells.
During our visit, we saw only two monks - one in the shop, the second was sitting at the entrance to the temple, and, completely renouncing everything that was happening around, was reading a book. The temple itself was empty when we entered. The recording of the service played softly. Here, despite the prohibition signs, I took several pictures of the frescoes. I rarely photograph the interiors of existing churches, but in this place I could not resist being impressed by what I saw.
In the shop, which is located to the left of the entrance to the monastery, you can buy icons, crosses, books, and honey, the labels of which indicate that it is produced in the monastery. Honey is delicious.
An amazingly beautiful, quiet and bright place, where it is probably easy to get away from the endless worldly anxiety. I happened to visit many monasteries, almost four dozen (the vast majority of them are active), and so Moni Tari is one of the few that fully correspond to my personal idea of ​​​​a monastery - that is, no fuss and noise. Only beauty around and silence, which allows you to stop and think about the eternal.

Monastery Tsambika- one of the most famous and popular (and not only among tourists) places of Rhodes - located about halfway from Rhodes to Lindos, right on the highway, not far from the village of Archangelos.

Monastery Tsambika

The monastery is famous throughout the world for the miraculous icon of the Mother of God Tsambika (Virgin Tsambika) located here. Desperate women who fail to get pregnant go to this place to pray to the Mother of God for the birth of a baby. They say they even come from America. They say there was a case when a Muslim woman came and asked the Mother of God for a baby. The baby appeared, and this Muslim woman was christened and became a Christian.
Translated from Greek“tsambo” means “spark”, “flash”, “glare” or “sunbeam”. In connection with the "spark" there is a legend about how miraculous icon(I do not give the legend here, so as not to overload the note, it will not be difficult for those interested to find information on the network). Let me just say that the icon was found on Mount Tsambika, where the chapel is now located.
Even before the trip, studying the information about the monastery, I concluded that there are always a lot of people there. Therefore, we decided to go to the monastery early, at seven o'clock in the morning. Moreover, after his visit, it was planned to climb Mount Tsambika to the chapel, before the onset of heat.
We left our son to sleep sweetly in the room, while we ourselves went from the west coast of the island to the east. Riding Rhodes in the morning is a pleasure. The roads are completely empty, the air has not yet warmed up and softly flies in through the open windows. I don't need air conditioning in my car. Views under such lighting are very pleasant - soft tones, penumbra, pastels. Freedom and beauty all around! The only "ambush" that can wait on the morning Rhodes track is goats. Of course, they are not on the big Rhodes-Lindos highway. In the mountains, they like to fall apart and lie down on the pavement (they warm themselves, or what?), And at the same time they are not too in a hurry to give way to a car. And they look at you like a Muscovite at a visitor - “come in large numbers here!” Being on a morning mountain road for the first time, and not knowing about the love of goats to rest on the pavement, I went around the corner quite quickly, so I had to brake hard. Then I already remembered this place, and slowed down in advance. I traveled along the morning road not only to the monastery, but also to shoot sunrises from different points, including Mount Tsambika.
It is easy to get to the monastery by car (parking is free, but there is not enough space, although we had no problems at seven in the morning). Bus tours, as I understand it, passing by the monastery during the day, there are also there, and, for sure, regular buses run along the highway. Why I focus on parking - not everywhere in Rhodes you can park easily and for free. For example, in the capital there are three parking zones - where you can park, where you can not, and where only local residents can park. They differ in the color of the lines drawn along the edge of the carriageway. When we were in Rhodes, I found a parking place with difficulty - everything is packed. Stuck almost on the sidewalk, next to the locals. If the fine later came to the rental office, no one informed me about it  And it’s not easy to find a place in Lindos, it’s good that our navigator “knew” parking places, and we parked next to the beach for free. Although the road leading to that parking lot in one place is such that it’s scary to look at, let alone drive… But let’s get back to the monastery.

For the first time I came into contact with Orthodox Greece when I visited Rhodes. The island of Rhodes, overgrown with picturesque oak, pine and cypress groves, washed by the emerald waters of the Mediterranean Sea, is rightfully called the pearl in the island necklace of Greece, being the third largest after Crete and Euboea. It is known to our compatriots as an expensive resort, which is visited annually by more than a million tourists from all over the world who seek to enjoy natural beauties, admire ancient monuments, and taste local cuisine. However, this blessed land, which has gained fame as a world tourist center, has every reason to be the object of special attention of Orthodox pilgrims.

Almost a hundred thousandth population of the island is overwhelmingly Orthodox. This is a kind of outpost on the border with Turkey, from which the island is only a few kilometers away: at nightfall, you can see the lights of the Turkish coast from here. You can travel around Rhodes on a regular bus - this is the cheapest and easiest way, which also allows you to get in touch with the life of the islanders.

The capital of the island is the city of Rhodes, founded in the 5th century BC. In his appearance, the influence of the archaic, Roman and Byzantine rule, and especially the Middle Ages, is noticeable. The inhabitants of the island were among the first to hear and accept the Good News. The conversion to Christ of the ancestors of the present-day Rhodians occurred largely under the influence of the preaching of the holy Apostle Paul, who stopped here on his way to Jerusalem (Acts 21.1). The bay near the ancient city of Lindos, where the ship with the "apostle of tongues" landed, now bears his name, and the place where he set foot on the land of the island is marked by a chapel. In the very heart of the Old City, early Christian catacombs have been preserved, over which a monastery was later erected in honor of Holy Mother of God. In 395, Rhodes was already the center of the metropolis, whose flock consisted of residents of the surrounding islands of the Dodecanese archipelago. The community of believers stoically survived the invasion of the militant Islamic conquerors-Saracenes, and then the invasion of the Arabs. A new page in the history of the island was written by the knights of the Order of St. John the Baptist who captured it in 1309. It is noteworthy that the order itself was founded in the XII century in Jerusalem precisely for the protection and assistance of Christian pilgrims. Traces of the presence of Catholic knights are visible here in everything - in the thick walls of an ancient fortress, the ramparts of which are overgrown with palm trees, in medieval Europe city ​​pavement, in the architecture of temples, which have clearly Gothic outlines. On Rhodes, the Knights of St. John became the owners of the greatest Christian shrines - the right hand of St. John the Baptist, which was given to them as an allied gift from the Turkish Sultan, and the icon Mother of God written by the apostle and evangelist Luke. The image was kept in a Greek monastery on the top of Mount Filerimos, which, according to legend, got its name from the name of the monk who labored on it. Now this place is crowned with a 17-meter cross.

The two-hundred-year rule of the Knights of St. John on Rhodes ended in 1522, when the Turks took possession of the island for a long time. The Order has moved to Malta, and its relics are a particle Life-Giving Cross, the right hand of John the Baptist and the ancient icon of the Mother of God, named after the location of Filerma, were subsequently donated by the Knights of Malta to the Russian Emperor Paul I. In June of this year, one of these shrines was brought to Russia, which remained in Montenegro after the Second World War, - right hand of Saint John the Baptist.

Each village of Rhodes breathes with antiquity, in almost every one there are small temples or monasteries with a long history. Many of them are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the outskirts of the town of Kremasti in the region of Petaloudes is the monastery of the Virgin Kalopetra, where numerous pilgrims traditionally rush during the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. The monastery was built in 1782 by one of the representatives of the famous aristocratic Ypsilanti family, whose members, by the way, served in the Russian army and in 1812 fought under Russian banners against Napoleon. The Monastery of the Theotokos Skiadi near the village of Mesanagros is famous for the miraculous Icon of the Theotokos, the feast of which is celebrated on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The main Orthodox church of Rhodes is also dedicated to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is located on the very seashore in the port of Mandraki, where once stood a statue of the famous Colossus of Rhodes - one of the seven wonders of the world. Now this place is marked by two columns crowned with sculptural images of deer. Deer columns are a symbol of modern Rhodes. It is hardly a coincidence that deer were often present in early Christian mosaics. In the Church of the Annunciation, which is the main church of the Metropolis, I happened to attend the Sunday Liturgy.

Of course, Greek worship is somewhat different from what we are used to. For example, the deacon reads the Apostle from a special pulpit, and after the liturgy, the serving priest himself distributes the antidor to all the parishioners. But having been in the service here in Rhodes, I experienced the same inner spiritual uplift, the same joy that I experienced in my native Moscow parish. It seems that every Orthodox pilgrim who happens to visit this ancient and holy land will experience similar feelings.

Organizer: Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate

If you liked the review and you also want to visit these shrines, then we invite you to familiarize yourself with the relevant

The holiday season is in full swing. If you like to combine active and beach holidays, Rhodes is just the place for you. ancient world, great Byzantium, the city of crusader knights, Turkish rule, Italians of the twentieth century, Orthodox Greece- all this you will find there. And the relatively small size of the island (about 70 km long and a little more than 30 wide) provides an excellent opportunity to see it all.

"Passed through Rhodes"

The Greek island of Rhodes is located at the junction of two seas - the Mediterranean and the Aegean. The seeming geographical conventionality acquires quite real features here. The Aegean Sea is constantly restless - waves and northern winds they do not always allow an ordinary person who is not keen on surfing to swim even in the summer. On the other hand, a constant cool breeze helps to comfortably survive the summer heat. On the Mediterranean coast, the situation is exactly the opposite. The sea is calm, but very hot in summer.

Rhodes is the meeting point of two seas: the Aegean and the Mediterranean.

As elsewhere in this region, there are most sunny days in the year. The inhabitants of Rhodes are sure that they even have more of them than in other places. Even in ancient times, it was believed that this island belongs to the sun god Helios, who patronizes all the Rhodians. Speaking of these ancient times, it is impossible not to mention the monuments ancient period preserved here.

In the city of Rhodes (this is not only the name of the island, but also the capital), which arose in 408 BC, you can see the ruins of the temple of Athena and Zeus, the columns on the site of the temple of Apollo, the restored school of oratory Odeon and the stadium. Rhodes is the birthplace of the most famous Olympic champion of antiquity, Diagoras. He himself became the winner of several Olympics. His children and grandchildren are also famous Olympians. But the most significant monument of antiquity, familiar to everyone who studied history at school, is the Colossus of Rhodes, a huge lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor, one of the wonders of the world, preserved only in memories.

Another city of the island, Lindos, also abounds with monuments of antiquity. But it's not just the old ruins. When you are in Greece, all these ancient names - Homer, Alexander the Great, Odysseus - suddenly acquire real features. You suddenly see how the Rhodians, taking advantage of the death of Mausolus, are trying to capture Halicarnassus, but the clever Artemisia breaks their fleet. As the siege tower of Demetrius approaches the island, but the fleet of Ptolemy's ally is already in a hurry to help.

The ancient story ends in the year 59, when the apostle Paul is on the island.
The Rhodians themselves like to refer to the book of the Acts of the Apostles, where this event is said: "I passed through Rhodes." The famous bay of the Apostle Paul is a favorite place for both natives and guests of the island. In 395, Rhodes officially becomes part of the Eastern Roman Empire.

In a candle, the main thing is not the thickness, but the flame

One of the most famous places in Rhodes is the Monastery of Our Lady of Tsambika. The miraculous icon appeared on Mount Tsambika (from the name of the mountain they began to call the icon) in the 15th century.
A bright light on the mountain was noticed by one of the residents of the nearby village of Archangelos. Since in those days pirate invasions were the most common thing,
the villagers decided that the light on the mountain was from a pirate fire. Armed, they went up the mountain. But here it turned out that the light comes from the lamp in front of the icon,
hanging on a tree. The rumor about the miracle quickly spread beyond the island and reached Crete, where a similar icon disappeared in one of the monasteries around the same time. Cretan monks sailed to Rhodes, identified the icon and took it back, but soon the icon again miraculously ended up on Mount Tsambika.

The miraculous image of the Virgin Tsambika, whom childless women pray for the gift of a baby

This was repeated three times, until people realized that the Mother of God wanted her image to be here. Miracles began to happen at the icon. The Mother of God Tsambika especially helped childless women who dreamed of a baby. There was even a certain Rhodes ritual - a woman on her knees must climb 297 steps to the mountain, light a candle in the form of a baby, and then swallow the wick from the burned-out candle. If, through the prayers of the mother, the Lord gives a child, then it is customary to baptize him in the temple of Our Lady of Tsambika and name him in her honor: the boy - Tsambikos, the girl - Tsambika. This name is one of the most common on the island.

Candles in the form of babies are traditionally lit in front of the miraculous image of the Virgin Tsambika

Now the miraculous icon is located in the Lower Church, the construction of which is also associated with the Mother of God Tsambika. In the 16th century, Rhodes was captured by the Ottomans. Wife
the Turkish governor, who owned the land around the monastery, learned that Greek women pray for the gift of children in front of the icon on the mountain. She, being childless, performed the Rhodes ritual and made a promise that she would baptize the born baby in Orthodox church. When a son was born, she went in secret from her husband to baptize him, but he, having learned, rushed in pursuit. Having caught up, he wanted to hit his wife, but then the baby opened his fist and the angry father saw a candle wick on his palm. This story may
seem fabulous, but there is documentary evidence that the Lower Church of Our Lady Tsambika arose on the land of a Muslim official in the 16th century.

The lower church of the Holy Mother of God Tsambika, built on the land of the Turkish governor.

The monastery was closed by the Italians who conquered Rhodes in 1912;
in the evening by a priest from the village of Archangelos.

Finishing the story of the monastery of Our Lady Tsambika, I will also mention the Italians in Rhodes. After the victory in the war with the Turks in 1911-1912, the Italians occupied the island. Despite what they built on the island good roads, restored historical buildings, began to systematically conduct archaeological research, the indigenous people do not like them. In particular, for the fact that it was the Italians who closed all the monasteries on Rhodes, because the monks supported the resistance movement to Italian, and then German fascism. Now there are only five monasteries in Rhodes.

How the princess threw the ring

One of the most ancient monasteries that has survived to this day is the Fari Monastery (sometimes in Russian it is called Tari). The exact time of its foundation is unknown, scientists believe that it happened between the 9th and 11th centuries. But on the other hand, a legend has been preserved that it was built by a seriously ill Byzantine princess, who, through prayers to
Archangel Michael received healing. In the place that the Archangel himself indicated to her, the princess ordered the church to be laid. Its size was determined as follows - the princess threw
their ring, from the place where she stood to the place where he fell, they built a temple.

Fari Monastery was opened in 1993

It is known that in the 11th century it was already there, but then it collapsed during an earthquake, that temple in the Byzantine style that pilgrims now visit is also very ancient,
belongs to the 13th century (it was completed in the 14th - XVI centuries). The dome and walls of the temple are painted with ancient frescoes, but the main value of the monastery is not they, but
miraculous icon of the Archangel Michael. It was with her that the monks walked around the monastery in 2008 during the terrible forest fires that raged on the island. Approaching the very walls of the monastery, the fire stopped. When you drive up to Fari, burnt hectares of forest catch your eye, but the monastery itself is buried in greenery.

It is impossible not to mention the active social position occupied by the inhabitants of the monastery. The brethren are small, about 10 people, 5-6 monks permanently live in Fari. The rest travel with a sermon about Christ in the countries of Asia and Africa. Missionary activity is one of the main social activities of the monks of Fari.
This is the only monastery in Greece that has its own TV channel, which is also used for missionary purposes. In addition, twice a year, camps for children with disabilities are organized in the monastery.

The inhabitants of the monastery of Fari are engaged in active missionary and social activities

The monastery is open daily until 19.00, if you visit it with an organized group of pilgrims, a prayer service will be served for you and you will be treated to herbal tea and monastery bread.

Ate at the post office, the waiter was the mayor

Another interesting place to visit is mountain village Asklipio. Here is the Byzantine Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is famous for her frescoes.
Here, on the walls of a relatively small cross-domed church, literally the entire Bible is collected - from the creation of the world, from the images of the ancient Jewish prophets, through
the events of the earthly life of the Savior, the Most Holy Theotokos, the saints before the Revelations of the Apostle and Evangelist John. There are only a few temples in the world where we can see the Horsemen of Death and other images of the Apocalypse.

Byzantine Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Asklipio

Leaving the Assumption Church on the street, you should pay attention to the ruins of a large fortress on the top of the mountain. This building belongs to the XIV century, knightly times.
islands of Rhodes. The Order of the Hospitallers was created as a religious and charitable brotherhood, whose knights helped the poor and sick pilgrims at the hospital (hence the name Hospitallers) of St. John the Merciful (they are also called Johnites) in Jerusalem. At the end of the 13th century, the Egyptian army of Sultan al-Ashraf conquered the Holy Land, the knights were forced to look for a new place. In 1309 they occupied the island of Rhodes.

The best preserved knight's fortress in the city of Rhodes, but I will talk about this later. But in addition to this knightly city, more than 20
fortresses, one of which is located next to Asklipio. Such citadels served, in particular, to transmit information about approaching enemies with the help of fire and smoke.

Speaking of trips around Rhodes, one cannot but mention the island cuisine. Fresh salads with the obligatory spices, olive oil and vinegar, tzatziki - thick Greek
yogurt with cucumber, garlic and spices, moussaka - layers of baked eggplant, potatoes and minced meat, meatballs and stuffed grape leaves, grilled vegetables and meat, and, of course, fresh fish By the way, it's quite expensive. All these dishes can be ordered in almost any tavern or restaurant in Rhodes, but it came to me in
head to tell you about the food exactly in connection with the visit to Asklipio that's why. Right next to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin there is a small family
a restaurant with a traditional white and blue outdoor terrace entwined with roses. The owner of the establishment part-time manages the village post office, which is located right there
behind the wall, and the owner's daughter helps to serve the guests, whom fellow villagers have been choosing their mayor for many years in a row. So, after having a bite in this Rhodes tavern, you,
without prejudice, you can later tell your friends about how they ate at the post office, and the mayor was the waiter.

There are a lot of villages in which wonderful Greek temples are located on Rhodes. I will mention one more - the cozy snow-white village of Siana, whose inhabitants are engaged in beekeeping. Once it was a very prosperous and large village, but gradually it became empty. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, many Rhodians from Siana went abroad, but they did not forget their native village. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Greek diaspora of Australia raised money for the construction of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, the miraculous icon and a particle of relics attract pilgrims here all year round, but especially, of course, on the saint’s memorial day.

Temple of St. Panteleimon in the village of Siana

The relics of the saint came to Rhodes along with the Knights Hospitaller, but, leaving the island in 1522, yielding it to Sultan Suleiman, they, oddly enough, took all the shrines
of their order, they left the ark with the holy relics of the saint. So they are kept here until now.

Cross on Mount Filerimos: the end of the history of the knights

On Rhodes, despite the turbulent historical events, the long Turkish yoke and the raids of pirates, many shrines have been preserved. But one of the main, it seems to me, and especially interesting to the Russian pilgrim, is the icon of the Virgin of Filerim. According to church tradition, this icon was painted by the holy apostle and evangelist Luke during the life of the Virgin. At first the image was in Egypt, and then ended up in Jerusalem. In the 5th century, the icon came to Constantinople, and from there to the crusader knights. The Hospitallers brought the holy image to Rhodes and built a temple here. Near the temple on the top of the mountain, the knights erected a huge cross, which is visible from afar when approaching the capital.

After the fall of Rhodes and its capture by the Ottomans, the Johnites settled in Malta, taking with them, along with other shrines, the icon of the Virgin of Filerim. But even from here they had to flee after Napoleon's troops captured the island in 1798. In 1799, the great shrines were handed over to the Russian Emperor Paul, who became the patron of the Order, for a long time they were kept in St. Petersburg until the well-known events of 1917. Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna took the icon of the Virgin of Filerim with her to Denmark, and then after the death of the empress, the image was presented to the Serbian king in gratitude for helping the Russians
emigrants. In 1941, before the German occupation, the icon was hidden in the distant Montenegrin monastery, and in the 1950s the icon was confiscated and secretly transferred to the museum.

The image of Our Lady of Filerim, a copy of the icon painted by the apostle and evangelist Luke

For a long time it was believed that the shrine was lost, only in 1993 it was possible to find out its location. Now Orthodox Church Rhodes strives to get the icon once in
year brought to the temple, which was built for her. Now the church keeps a copy of the ancient icon.

Near the Church of the Virgin of Filerim, there was also a monastery under the knights. Sultan Suleiman, who defeated the Hospitallers, did not touch the temple, but destroyed the monastery. It was restored at the beginning of the 20th century by the Italians. He began to belong to the Order of the Capuchins. A small monastery with a cozy courtyard, into which the doors of the cells of all the monks opened.

monastery courtyard

The monks of this monastery collected herbs in the area. Perhaps that is why at the door to each cell there is a ceramic tile with the image of some plant - basil,
thyme, something else.

At the door to each monk's cell there was a tile depicting a plant blooming on a hill near the monastery.

The monks were expelled from the island by the Nazis in 1943. Local guides say that, leaving, the capuchins told one boy who loved to visit them, the recipe for making their signature healing tincture "Seven Herbs". The boy has already become a grandfather, only his family still owns a unique recipe. Bottles with a green potion are sold at the entrance to the monastery, and the same grandfather is sitting next to him. Skeptical, I calculated how old he was, it turned out to be 83 years old, I must say that he looks great for this age. Perhaps thanks to a wonderful tincture.

Grandfather, who knows the famous recipe for the healing drink "Seven Herbs" of the Capuchin monks.

After the Second World War, Rhodes and all the islands of the Dodecanese became Greek again. Therefore, thanking the Rhodians for something, boldly pronounce a familiar word:
"Eucharist!"

Miraculously, the icon was found here in the 15th century. As the legend says, once a local shepherd, looking after his flock, saw a strange glow on the top of the coastal cliff, which was repeated the next day. The shepherd was interested in this light, but he did not dare to go to the top, fearing the robbers who could hide there on the rock. And on the third day the glow was repeated. Then, plucking up courage, calling other villagers, the shepherd sets off on his way to the top.

When the people climbed the rock, they saw on the branch of one of the trees a small icon of the Mother of God in silver frame which gave off light. Then one of those present exclaimed in the local dialect - Tsamba! - which means "spark", "light". So they began to call this icon - the icon of the Virgin Tsambika.

Rock - the place where the icon was found, Upper Tsambika. Photo from the site - commons.wikimedia.org

The population of the island began to flock to the icon in order to see this miracle with their own eyes and bow to it.

One day, the monks who arrived from Cyprus recognized in the icon the very one that mysteriously disappeared from their monastery. The Rhodians had no choice but to return the icon to Cyprus, but the next day, miraculously, it again appears in its original place. Again they send her to Cyprus, and again she returns to Rhodes. And for the third time the icon was given to Cyprus, but this time they decide to mark it, so that from now on they will know for sure that the same icon travels between the two islands. And for the third time the icon will be on Rhodes; by the mark they will understand that this is the same Tsambika. They will no longer go against the will of God and leave the icon where it returned again and again three times.

Giving the joy of motherhood

Kato Tsambika or "Lower Tsambika". Photos from the site - sites.google.com

On the site of the miraculous finding of the shrine, on the top of the rock, a small temple was built, where until recently the miraculous icon was located. They call it today the Upper Monastery of the Virgin Tsambika, or simply the Upper Tsambika. Because, in 1760, at the foot of the cliff, a new large monastery of the Virgin was built - Kato Tsambika or "Lower Tsambika", which flourished for many years, but was abandoned by the nuns during the years of fascist persecution, and in which monastic life has not resumed to this day.

In Lower Tsambika today there is a miraculous icon of the Virgin, which patronizes not only the island of Rhodes, but also all women. They pray to her for marriage and, most importantly, for childbearing. Thousands of childless women come to the icon every year to ask for the conception of a long-awaited child.

One of the most celebrated holidays of the island of Rhodes - September 8 - the patronal feast of the monastery of the Virgin Tsambika. The festival starts on the 7th. It is on this day, on the eve of the holiday, that the shrine is transferred to the upper monastery. Numerous pilgrims come these days to the island.

On the night of September 7-8, barren women perform a special sacrament: they lubricate the stomach consecrated oil and tie around the waist wool thread, read a prayer to the Mother of God Tsambika, take a wax candle in the shape of a baby in their hand and set off on their way to the top of the rock to the icon. And the path is not easy for them - climbing to a height of more than 200 meters, 360 steps. Particularly desperate, according to tradition, make this rise on their knees, constantly reciting a prayer, many are accompanied by their husbands and families. Rising to the temple, standing near the icon, the woman again says a prayer to the Mother of God and lights a candle in the shape of a baby. When the candle burns out, the woman should swallow her cinder.

When the long-awaited miracle happens - and sincere faith works miracles - when the baby is born, many parents return to this monastery to baptize the baby here. Moreover, there is a tradition - as a sign of gratitude, they name the child in baptism in honor of the shrine: the boy - Tsambikos, the girl - Tsambika. The Rhodians themselves love their Mother of God very much and name their children in her honor: today Tsambikos and Tsambika are one of the most common names on the island.

Photo from the site - www.espressonews.gr

The temple of the Mother of God is filled with evidence of the miracles that have occurred: happy families bring here photographs of born children, valuable gifts, and, of course, metal plates, the so-called “tam”, with the image of a baby, which are hung near the icon.

Not only the Greeks, not only the Orthodox come to pray with hope to the icon. She helped both Catholics and even Muslims. One local legend tells of the wife of an Ottoman official, a Muslim woman who could not conceive a child in any way, she almost despaired when she heard about the miraculous Rhodes icon.

The woman went to Tsambika, performed the sacrament, and after a while the long-awaited miracle happened. While carrying a child, she was afraid of the wrath of her husband - a faithful Muslim. When the baby was born, her joy knew no bounds, and only one thing surprised the mother - the baby's fists were tightly clenched. On the same day, her husband found out the truth that the wife performed the sacrament at Orthodox icons and became furious. He grabbed the newborn in anger, and at that very moment the child opened his fists, in which he held the cinders of those very candles from Tsambika. This testimony of a miracle melted my father's heart.

The celebration of September 8 is the patronal feast of the monastery. The day of the miraculous acquisition of the icon of the Theotokos Tsambika. Photo from the site - www.pemptousia-2.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com