Monastery of Aghios Minas

Aghios Minas, Chios Island
Six girls, one rainy Sunday and Saint Minas

It was one warm and a bit rainy Sunday in October. We took a nice walk down the road from Katarraktis to Aghios Minas (greek Αγίου Μηνά). It's a monastery situated on a hilltop close to village Neohori, built in the 16th century.
It is famous to the world because of the massacre in March 1822 when the islanders who were seeking refuge, were killed by Turks during the Greek Revolution.
Our little group of six girls didn't mind the rain. Fig fruits and blackberries that we've tasted on the way was the only thing that was stopping us.

We've walked passed the town Kallimasia (greek Καλλιμασιά) and eventually even Neohori (greek Νεοχώρι) known for its beach of Agia Fotia.
Finally we arrived to the hill which is about 8km north from Katarraktis. You can see the beautiful shore from the hilltop. Aghios Minas monastery complex is surrounded by a wall. There was a sweet older lady in black, most likely a nun, who opened the door for us. We entered and saw the courtyard with the sky-blue-white flag of Greece in the very middle, a katholikon (which is the major church building of a monastery) and a mausoleum. We didn't speak the same language as our lovely guide but it wasn't a problem there. With tears in her eyes was she pointing at the bloodstained stone floors of the chapel which is what's still left after the massacre, trying to explain the history of the place to us.
The church is of saint Minas (greek Άγιος Μηνάς). In the altar (sanctuary) we could see beautiful icons showing the life of Jesus and Virgin Mary as well as an icon of saint Minas. Of course there are many other icons all around the church.
The cupola on top of the church symbolizes the sky, on the inside of the cupola there is a depiction of Christ Pantocrator that can be translated as Almighty・which is one of the most widely used religious images of eastern church art and architecture. There are also three beautiful glass chandeliers adorning the church.
Later our guide took us even to the mausoleum which used to be a regular chaple at first, where there's more blood on the floor and the victims relics-their bones and skulls that you can see behind the glass. The history is still alive there, you can almost feel it.
It was a very nice expedition, not only have we seen a very interesting place but our guide gave us some sweets. No wonder we're already planning on going to other monasteriers on our island, soon.