Pontic Religious Heritage on the Slopes of Mount Vermio

Pontic Religious Heritage on the Slopes of Mount Vermio

The Holy Monastery of Saint John Vazelon, currently undergoing reconstruction, is located on the western side of Mount Vermio, approximately 3.5 kilometres northeast of the village of Agios Dimitrios in the Ellispontos area of Kozani. It is easily accessible by car and coach via a paved road.

According to tradition, the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Holy Monastery of Saint John Vazelon was founded in 270 AD, approximately 40 kilometres south of Trebizond. It is considered the founding monastery of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Pontus. It is the oldest monastery in Pontus and one of the oldest Christian monasteries. Its name is believed to derive from a corruption of the name “Zavoulon”. The monastery was destroyed several times, mainly by Persians and Turks. In 490 AD, it was completely destroyed by the Persians, who massacred all 400 monks. It was re-established in the 6th century at a nearby site, next to the hermitage of Prophet Elijah, following the liberation of the eastern territories from Persian rule by Emperor Justinian and his general Belisarius.

During the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods, the monastery provided significant religious, spiritual and national services to the Greek population of Pontus, emerging as a religious and spiritual centre for the region. It gained particular renown during the Empire of Trebizond (1204–1461).

Throughout periods of unrest and war, the monastery served as a refuge and place of safety for anyone facing persecution, regardless of religious affiliation or denomination. Notably, in 1821, the monastery’s abbot, Chrysanthos, managed to prevent the massacre of Christians from 40 villages in the Matsouka region. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, hundreds of Armenians were also saved by the monastery’s monks.

The monastery received numerous donations and imperial chrysobulls from Byzantine emperors, members of the Komnenos dynasty and even Russian rulers. Of its extensive archives and five codices, only one has survived; it is now held at the museum in Leningrad.

The monastery’s last abbot was Archimandrite Panaretos Topalidis. When the monastery was destroyed in 1922, the monk Dionysios Amarantidis, who was then serving as its deputy superior and later became an Archimandrite, managed to save the icon depicting the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. He kept it safe in monasteries in the Serres area: the Monastery of Saint Demetrios in Panorama and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Toumba.

In June 1970, the icon of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist was transferred from Serres to Agios Dimitrios in a formal procession, accompanied by Archimandrite Dionysios Amarantidis and received with due honours. From that time onwards, the “Saint John Vazelon” Association, headed by its president, Efstathios Panagiotidis, who served for approximately 40 years, began the work of re-establishing the monastery. The effort received support from local residents and institutions, worshippers from across Greece and abroad, and donors of all means. The reconstruction took place on the western slopes of Mount Vermio, at Agios Dimitrios in Kozani, and included the construction of the Church of Saint John the Baptist, monastic cells and other essential facilities.

Following the arrival in 1997 of the elderly Father Maximos, who served as the Prosmynarios at Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos, large numbers of worshippers from across Greece began visiting the monastery, which was then being rebuilt. Elder Maximos remained its principal benefactor until his passing on Mount Athos.

With the blessing of the Metropolitan of Servia and Kozani, and thanks to the voluntary work of local residents and financial support from local institutions and worshippers in Greece and abroad, restoration work on the church began in July 2009. The initial priority was to address serious water leaks through the roof, followed by further works to improve the building’s appearance.

The monastery celebrates its annual feast day on 24 June, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.

Information

Holy Monastery of Saint John Vazelon, Agios Dimitrios, Kozani, 50150

Phone: “Saint John Vazelon” Association +306944305572