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Top 10Néa Moní, Híos

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Considered one of the finest examples of architecture from the Macedonian Renaissance, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its golden mosaics. Located just west of Híos town, the 11th-century Néa Moní, meaning New Monastery, was built by Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Empress Zoe (r.1042–1050). According to legend, three monks found a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary here. It became an influential and wealthy monastery but its decline began when the Ottomans plundered Híos in 1822.



Top 10 Features

1The Narthex

The esonarthex (inner narthex) and the exonarthex (outer narthex) entrances feature some of the monastery’s most prized mosaics. There is also a marble inlaid floor, which was a sign of wealth in Byzantine times.

2St Luke’s Chapel

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This small chapel, dedicated to St Luke, the early-Christian author of the Gospel of Luke, is near the monks’ cemetery, just outside the monastery’s boundary wall. Its architecture is typical of the 11th-century ecclesiastical style.

3Cistern

A key part of the monastery’s infrastructure, the cistern, or kinsterna, is a well-preserved underground complex of marble columns, arches and vaults, designed to collect and hold rain water. This water was supplied to the monks.

4Mosaics

Worked in marble on a gold background, the mosaics depict biblical scenes and figures. The works include the famous Anástasis (Resurrection), showing Christ’s rescue of Adam and Eve from Hell.

5Skull Cabinet

A macabre sight, this cabinet contains skulls and bones of the islanders massacred by the Ottomans in 1822. The dead included 600 monks from Néa Moní.

6The Belfry

The original majestic belfry was built in the early 16th century. It collapsed during the 1881 earthquake and was rebuilt in 1900.

7Monks’ Cells

The Venetian-period cells, known as Keliá, are where the monks would have slept. Though most are in a ruined state, one has been renovated and houses a small museum.

8Trapeza

The dining hall, or refectory, is where the monks would have met for meals. A once-massive structure, it was damaged in 1822 by the Ottomans and again by the 1881 earthquake. Its remains can be visited.

9The Catholicon

The Catholicon, or Katholikón, is the main part of the church between the esonarthex and exonarthex. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is a rare early example of insular octagonal architecture and is dominated by its dome.

10Churches

The monastery has two small churches. One is dedicated to the Holy Cross. The other, Pandeleimon, is named after the saint who, according to legend, became a martyr during the Roman persecution of Christians in AD 303.


Tip: Néa Moní is undergoing an extensive restoration programme and some areas of the complex may be closed to visitors.


Tip: The monastery is surrounded by small villages that have tavernas and coffee shops for refreshment.

Macedonian Renaissance Art

The Macedonian Renaissance, a period of Byzantine art, began in the late 9th century and continued till the mid-11th century. During this time, cross-in-square and octagonal churches with fabulous frescoes, icons and mosaics were commissioned. The use of marble and ivory, often on gold and black backgrounds, became fashionable. Finest examples from the period are Ósios Loukás Moní and Dafní Moní on the Greek mainland, which share UNESCO status with Néa Moní.

Visitor Information

  • Híos
  • Monastery open dawn to sunset daily, but closes 1–4pm; museum open 8am–1pm Tue–Sun
  • Adm €2 (free on Sun)