Overview
The rock stands about six hundred metres above sea level and the monastery covers its whole summit. The church of the Transfiguration keeps its 1388 sanctuary inside a larger nave of 1544, frescoed with a Last Judgement and with the martyrdoms that the Ottoman century made topical. The old refectory is now a museum of manuscripts and icons, and the kitchen and cooperage are left as they were worked.
Highlights
The climb is about three hundred steps and there is no shortcut; take water. Look for the net and the winch tower on the way in, kept as a reminder of the old ascent. Opening days rotate among the six monasteries and change with the season, so check the current schedule before setting out, and cover shoulders and knees.