Taxiarchis Monastery in Lesvos

On the island of Lesvos, one can visit this miraculous icon at the Byzantine Monastery of the Taxiarchis (Archangel) Michael in the district of Mantamados. This monastery is situated in the northeast part of Lesvos, 36 km from Mytilini. The history of this monastery and the icon are closely connected to the history of the island of Lesvos.

This is a famous monastery, made of stone. The monastery was most probably abandoned in 1462 the year of the island’s occupation by the Ottoman Turks. In the past, the monastery functioned as a men’s convent and is first mentioned in a 1661 ecclesiastical document. The small church within the monastery originally dates from the 17th century but was replaced by larger church in the 18th century. The present church (cathedral) was constructed in 1879 and follows a three-aisled basilica architectural type. The monastery is structured para-metrically around this church.