Monastery of Saint John the Theologian

Monastery of Saint John the Theologian tickets: which one to buy

The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian crowns the hilltop village of Chora on the island of Patmos, in the Dodecanese, and it is one of the most important Orthodox monasteries in the world. Entry to the monastery is ticketed, cheaply, and the museum and treasury have a separate small fee that is well worth paying. Patmos has no airport; it is reached by ferry from Piraeus, which takes many hours, or by faster boats from Kos, Samos and Leros, and cruise ships call at the port of Skala.

Tours from Skala combine the monastery with the Cave of the Apocalypse, halfway up the hill, where Saint John is said to have received his visions. Buses and taxis go up to Chora, and a steep old path leads up on foot. The monastery, Chora and the cave are listed together by UNESCO. Dress rules are strict, with covered shoulders and knees. The bus from Skala runs roughly hourly in summer and less often in winter.

Visiting Monastery of Saint John the Theologian: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1088 by the monk Christodoulos, with the support of the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, in honour of Saint John, who according to tradition wrote the Book of Revelation on Patmos while in exile. Because of the danger of pirates, it was built like a fortress, with massive grey walls, towers and battlements, and the white houses of Chora grew around it. Inside, a maze of courtyards, passages and stairs leads to the main church, the katholikon, with frescoes and a carved wooden iconostasis, and to the chapel of the Virgin, with frescoes from the twelfth century.

The museum and treasury display icons, including a famous early icon of Saint John, silver and gold ecclesiastical objects, embroidered vestments and the imperial decree founding the monastery. The library holds manuscripts and early printed books, among them pages of a sixth-century gospel written in silver on purple parchment. The roof terraces of the monastery give a view over the whole island and the neighbouring islets, with Chora's white houses below. Built into the walls are small chapels, each with its own iconostasis and icons donated by pilgrims over the centuries.

Monastery of Saint John the Theologian opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery opens in the morning and closes for a long break in the early afternoon, reopening on some days in the late afternoon; hours are adjusted when cruise ships are in port, when it becomes crowded. Early morning is the best time to visit. Patmos is quietest in spring and autumn, which are also the best seasons for walking between Chora and the cave.

Summer is warm and windy, with the meltemi wind blowing in July and August. Orthodox Easter on Patmos is one of the most famous in Greece, with a ceremony of the washing of the feet in the square of Chora on Holy Thursday. Allow about an hour for the monastery and the museum, and stay in Chora to watch the sunset over the islands. Chora's lanes hold several fine mansions of sea captains and a number of small cafes with views.