The economic troubles of Greece, thus far, have been somewhat hidden, with the exception of closed buildings in Athens, we as a group have yet to really experience a country in distress. Our time in Rhodes however, did give us a small glimpse into the future of Greece, and their working class citizens. Costas, our Rotarian guide, was gracious enough to educate us on the social, economic, and political environment of Rhodes and Greece. As we toured the Old City of Rhodes, we were met with many closed signs; the public sector was on strike.
The economic problems that Greek labor force faces are not new. The public sector is overpaid, the private sector is overtaxed. Rhodes however, still has a booming tourism industry that supports and sustains a large percentage of their GDP. Anna Moody, an inspiring entrepreneur, provided us with a visual metaphor for the economic problems of Greece: "There was a bag of sweets. And there was a group of kids."
Anna went on to explain that 16 or so years ago there were very few mortgages in Greece; if a family built a house, they did so one floor at a time as money was saved. Very few regular people had a real concept of credit and suddenly from everywhere it was available with no need to pay off in sight. So people bought, and built and lived, but the due date was just around a bend and suddenly, for many at least, money was due for things that were no longer worth the money owed on them. The available cash to spend had temporarily increased, but the actual income of the average person had not.
With these issues in mind, we pushed through the picturesque Old City, trying to find something that was open to the public. Marios, our second Rotarian guide, suggested that we visit The Monastery of Filerimos, which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences and sights of Rhodes.
“The Monastery of Filerimos in Rhodes Greece: The Monastery of Panagia Filerimos is located on a hill above Ialyssos, about 10 km from Rhodes Town. The monastery is dedicated to Virgin Mary the Life-Giving Source (Zoodochos Pighi) and its architecture is much different than the usual monasteries in Greece. It was constructed of stone in a Gothic style, on the site of an older Byzantine monastery.
The monastery was built in the 15th century by the Knights of Saint John, who had conquered the island that time. Inside, there was the holy icon of the Virgin Mary that the Knights had probably brought to Rhodes from Jerusalem. When the Ottomans conquered the island in 1523, the Knights left and took the icon with them. After floating in Italy, Malta, France and Russia, this icon is today hosted in the National Museum of Montenegro.
In the region around the monastery, there are the ruins of a baptistery in the shape of a cross, the remains of Ancient Ialysos and an underground church of Saint George that dates from the 14th century AD. From Filerimos Monastery also starts the path to Golgothas. On top of this path, up on a hill with amazing view, there is a huge cross, while on the one side of the path, there are engravings that represent the Passion of the Christ.”
-TJ
http://www.greeka.com/dodecanese/rhodes/rhodes-churches/filerimos-monastery.htm
To view the pictures please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51050433@N07/
The economic problems that Greek labor force faces are not new. The public sector is overpaid, the private sector is overtaxed. Rhodes however, still has a booming tourism industry that supports and sustains a large percentage of their GDP. Anna Moody, an inspiring entrepreneur, provided us with a visual metaphor for the economic problems of Greece: "There was a bag of sweets. And there was a group of kids."
Anna went on to explain that 16 or so years ago there were very few mortgages in Greece; if a family built a house, they did so one floor at a time as money was saved. Very few regular people had a real concept of credit and suddenly from everywhere it was available with no need to pay off in sight. So people bought, and built and lived, but the due date was just around a bend and suddenly, for many at least, money was due for things that were no longer worth the money owed on them. The available cash to spend had temporarily increased, but the actual income of the average person had not.
With these issues in mind, we pushed through the picturesque Old City, trying to find something that was open to the public. Marios, our second Rotarian guide, suggested that we visit The Monastery of Filerimos, which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences and sights of Rhodes.
“The Monastery of Filerimos in Rhodes Greece: The Monastery of Panagia Filerimos is located on a hill above Ialyssos, about 10 km from Rhodes Town. The monastery is dedicated to Virgin Mary the Life-Giving Source (Zoodochos Pighi) and its architecture is much different than the usual monasteries in Greece. It was constructed of stone in a Gothic style, on the site of an older Byzantine monastery.
The monastery was built in the 15th century by the Knights of Saint John, who had conquered the island that time. Inside, there was the holy icon of the Virgin Mary that the Knights had probably brought to Rhodes from Jerusalem. When the Ottomans conquered the island in 1523, the Knights left and took the icon with them. After floating in Italy, Malta, France and Russia, this icon is today hosted in the National Museum of Montenegro.
In the region around the monastery, there are the ruins of a baptistery in the shape of a cross, the remains of Ancient Ialysos and an underground church of Saint George that dates from the 14th century AD. From Filerimos Monastery also starts the path to Golgothas. On top of this path, up on a hill with amazing view, there is a huge cross, while on the one side of the path, there are engravings that represent the Passion of the Christ.”
-TJ
http://www.greeka.com/dodecanese/rhodes/rhodes-churches/filerimos-monastery.htm
To view the pictures please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51050433@N07/
Rhodes Monastery of Filerimos: Information about the Monastery of Filerimos in Rhodes Greece, Dodeca
www.greeka.com Rhodes Filerimos Monastery, Greece by Greeka.com. Information about the Monastery of Filerimos in Rhodes - Dodecanese - Greek islands with also travel information: History, museums, festivals, maps, pictures and Rhodes hotels.
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