Monastery Timios Stavros

The massive monastery of Timios Stavros is a place you definitely shouldn’t miss when travelling to the south-west of the capital through the central part of Samos. The monastery dedicated to the Saint Cross is located near the village of Mavrantzei and belongs to the oldest ones on the island. Although it was built in the 16th century, it got its current appearance only in the 18th century. There are monks living till nowadays who you can see in the monastery premises performing their daily tasks. In the interior, you can see mural paintings, rich ornamentation and religious objects. The local library is hiding wealth including rare books, documents and manuscripts. The monastery also serves for the public who come there to celebrate some of the religious feast days.