The Holy Monastery of Panagia Ikosifinissa is the second most important monastery of Macedonia that until today, crowds of faithful people visit the monastery in order to pray in favor of Panagia Ikosifinissa and to embrace the Acheiropiitos icon of her.

The holy monastery of Ikosifinissa

The Holy monastery is located on the high way of Kavala – Serres (on the limits of two prefectures), on the north side of Paggeo, immediately after the settlement of Kormista in a green area, at an altitude of 743 meters. Today, 25 nuns live at the monastery with the nun Alexia as their Mother Superior. The monastery is a cross-source monastery, i.e. it belongs to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (administratively) and to the Holy Metropolis Drama (ecclesiastically).

The monastery and its buildings

The whole monastery is surrounded by a high wall and at its center is the church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. At the first and main part of the monastery is the katholikon, which is its oldest building, The abbot, the cells of the nuns, the guest quarters, the chapel of St. Barbara with the holy water, the museum, the bank and the embroidery and iconography workshops.

The second part of the building installations of the monastery includes three buildings of hostels, the presbytery for the on duty priest of the monastery, the small chapel of Zoodochou Pigi and the flower gardens with the old fountain. Before the Holy monastery, there is a square which is sheltered by old plane trees. Close to it is a monument of the 172 Ikosifinissa monks who were slaughtered in 1507 by the Turks. It was built in the year 1972. At the entrance of the monastery there is a mosaic of Virgin Mary praying. In the internal gate there is another mosaic of the two founders of the monastery, saint Germanou and Dionysius.

The «catholicon», i.e. the central church was built in the year 1842, next to the Holy Vimatos, that remains from the 11th century. A piece of marvelous art is the wood carved gilded iconostasis in which the Acheiropoietos icon is located. The icon screen was built from 1781 to 1802 by artisans from Chios. It has two large and two smaller domes. On the roof grow two small cypresses that cause admiration, like miracle. In the southeast corner of the Temple, a majestic bell tower stands.

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