At an altitude of 2,803 meters, at the top of Olympus, is the highest Orthodox church. It is the highest ecclesiastical building of the Orthodox Church worldwide.
We are talking about the chapel of the Prophet Elias in which the faithful light their candles on a glacier inside the temple that never melts. With a sensational view that takes your breath away.
The peak of Prophet Ilias at an altitude of 2,803 meters is located near the highest peaks of Olympus (Mytikas and Stefani) in Greece. In particular, the small church is located north of Mytikas and northwest of the Plateau of the Muses. The nearest mountain shelters are Apostolidis Shelter (430 meters away) and Christos Kakkalos Shelter (about 600 meters away).
The chapel was built on the top of Mount Prophet Elias. The main building materials were the surrounding stones. The floor of the chapel is covered with stone slabs, the outer walls are made of multi-layered stones, without further connecting material. Covered with stone slabs, the roof rests on a solid wooden structure to support the snow load. An atrium is protected on the east and south sides by a natural stone wall, which has an entrance on the north side. The low entrance to the chapel is on the south side of the building.
Inside there are hagiographies and a small altar, flanked by images depicting saints of the Orthodox Church, which gives the faithful the opportunity to light a candle.
If you want to visit the chapel you can both visit it from the of side of Pieria and of Thessaly. Find out more about how to visit Mt Olympus at our article Mt Olympus – the highest mountain in Greece.
The stones from the Jordan river
Every year on July 20, many believers climb from Litochoro and from all over Pieria. Thus participating in the divine liturgy, since the path is relatively passable. The path is long and the climb takes 40 minutes, but it is not something for the few and chosen – anything but.
The beautiful chapel also has “high” presbyters. Last summer it was visited by a Christian prince from Jordan. He had the hope of carrying two stones up there from the Jordan River, the place where Jesus was baptized and which is at the same time the lowest point on earth.
As a symbol of union and love, to send the message that people have nothing to separate and that they can have relationships as solid as rocks. By uniting the lowest point with the highest point, the connection, not only of Christians, but also of all people, regardless of religion, became clearer.
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